Feelings on Canvas
by ncrl
Summary: Bella coincidentally reunites with The Cullens thirty years after being changed. This story is about family, courtship and love. BxE AU
1. Chapter 1

**_A/N: This story is completely written. I'm doing minor changes and corrections on the remaining chapters. I'll try to update at least two times a week. It is a short story, only twenty one chapters.  
_**

_**I do not have a Beta, so any constructive criticism is appreciated.**_

_**Also, I'm a one point of view girl. Sorry if you like multiple POVs.**_

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to the amazing Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

Chapter 1

I stood in the middle of my bedroom, staring at the wall, waiting for the little light of the gloomy day to fade. I glanced at the digital clock on my night table and closed my eyes. _Almost time._

I walked slowly toward the window, and as I looked up the sky I couldn't help to remember the little cloudy town that would always be my true home. _Forks._

My thoughts about home led to memories that had always stayed with me. How wrong had he been! The human mind was not like a sieve. At least mine wasn't. The mental picture of Edward and I in our meadow during happier times had always been with me. It was bittersweet, but it'd become a needed fuel to go on with my lonely life.

With the good memories also came the unpleasant ones. The time when he walked away and left me in the forest was one I'd give anything to forget. But sadly, I knew that was impossible. Many times I had wished for a selective memory.

I pushed my thoughts aside knowing that there would be time to relive them again. After all, time was of abundance in my new life, a life as a vampire.

It had been thirty years since I was changed. It happened two years after he'd left. Since then, I've been surviving day by day with only memories. Memories of a love lost.

I shook my head trying to clear my mind and I walked unwillingly toward my closet. I stood in there deciding what to wear. I grabbed a pair of jeans, a plain T-shirt, a hooded black sweater and started to get ready for my first day at the University of Vermont. I was majoring on Art Education.

I had just relocated a few miles from Burlington on Vermont's countryside. I've chosen this particular place because of the wide range of wildlife as well as the location. Far away from the place I missed the most.

Once dressed, I grabbed my books and headed out to my car.

I drove in the faculty parking lot, parked my car and slowly walked to my first class. It was English Literature.

I entered the classroom and settled on a desk at the back. It'd make it harder for my classmates to stare at me, but somehow, they managed. People gawking at me had always made me uncomfortable but I tried to ignore them.

During class I kept my eyes down, fixed on my notes, occasionally looking at the professor. Although Literature had always been my favorite subject, I did not enjoy his lecture.

The class was finally over and I rushed as swiftly as I could manage, out the room. _One's done, two more to go. _

My second class passed in about the same fashion. Once it was over I walked through campus keeping my face pulled back into my hood. It was nearly impossible to escape the constant ogling.

I made it to my last class, Contemporary Visual Design. It was a very interesting course but to my dismay it required a partner lab for Graphic Design and drawing. Professor McKnight assigned partners and a guy name Kyle Rivers was named my lab partner.

As soon as the professor said my name, Kyle walked toward me with a huge grin, extending his hand and introduced himself. "Hello, my name is Kyle!"

I glanced quickly at him. His eyes were blue, contrasting with his black eyebrows and hair. His nose was perfectly straight. He looked like those models you see on magazines. He was a very good-looking guy over all, but never as beautiful as Edward. Nobody was.

I shook his hand, releasing it quickly, trying not to be impolite. "Bella."

He recoiled at my cold touch but quickly regained his composure. He smiled and I immediately noticed the curiosity and fascination he felt toward me. I stifled a groan, anticipating the unpleasant semester ahead of me.

"Since we're going to be partners," he said, " we should get to know each other."

I was surprised by his friendliness. Most humans were curious but shield away from us. This kid was different. I tried to ignore him.

"How about a cup of coffee, after school?" He said with a big smile.

I needed to find a way to stop his infatuation. "Look, my reason for being here is not to socialize, so I'll ask you to refrain from talking to me about issues not related to our project." I said with a serious face, hoping to scare him a tittle.

"Wow." He said. "You look even more beautiful when you are mad. This semester is going to be so much fun."

I let out a big gust of breath thinking the opposite.

The class was finally over and I exited the building as fast as humanly possible. I was close to my car when I caught a scent; yet unfamiliar, I knew it belonged to a vampire. I spun around and held a defensive position, half-crouched. I looked around, making sure no humans were close to witness what was about to happen. And then, I saw a beautiful face I hadn't seen in decades.

I hurled myself at the marvelous granite body. As our bodies made contact, it did not feel cold any more. "Alice" I sighed. "I missed you so much."

I looked at her face and I could see a mixture of shock and confusion on her lovely features.

"Bella?" She finally said. "Is it really you?"

I smiled, kissing the top of her head " Yes, it's really me".

"I can't believe it!" She grabbed me up in a tight hug and swung me around in a circle. "If I wasn't a vampire I would think I was dreaming!"

I felt so happy. I loved Alice like a sister and I truly missed her.

I was so caught up in my happy little world with Alice that I'd completely ignored her companion. "Hello, Bella. It's nice to see you again." He said in a deep voice.

"Hello Jasper." I said with a timid smile.

"What happened to you? Where have you been? Where do you live? Who changed you?" Alice bombarded me with all the questions at once.

"Calm down Alice." I said, trying to look serene.

"I will answer all of your questions but this is neither the place nor the time to do it." I said, pointing at all the people around us.

She agreed reluctantly.

"I know!" She said, her face lighting up. "Let's go to my house."

I thought about it for a moment and realized that although I'd love to the Cullens again, there was the possibility that not all of them wanted to see me. "I'm not sure. Maybe you should consult with them before I show up unannounced." I said, trying to sound convincing.

"Nonsense. You are family, you don't need an invitation."

I felt doubtful_. _Was I prepared to see Edward again? Just thinking about it gave me butterflies. But the most important question was how Edward felt about me.

Alice was looking at me, waiting for my response with pleading eyes. I internally groaned. _When am I going to learn to say no to Alice?_

"All right." I said, closing my eyes in defeat. "I will go to your house. I will satiate your curiosity but first I need to go home and take care of some business-related phone calls."

"Business?" She said, surprised. "You don't seem to be the business type." She laughed.

I lifted my chin in defiance "You don't think I am smart enough to run a business? How do you think I pay for my living expenses?"

"Oh no, Bella. I didn't mean it like that." She was suddenly backtracking. "It's just different. I didn't want to offend you."

I looked at her worried face and couldn't fight a smile, "You are forgiven. Give me your address and I'll be there in an hour." I said, unconvinced.

"I'll go with you. I'm not letting you out of my sight for even a second." She said, grabbing and squeezing my hand.

She suddenly seemed to remember something very important. "I think I'll give you some privacy."

She let my hand go and dig through her purse looking for a piece of paper. She wrote her address and gave to me. "We will see you soon. Don't make us wait. You don't know how much I missed you." She kissed me on the cheek, grabbed Jasper's hand and headed toward their car.

"I missed you too." I whispered mostly to myself.

On my way home I felt a mixture of emotions: happiness, blessedness, anxiety, fear. But happiness was definitely the strongest feeling.

If I had a beating heart, it will be doing somersaults.


	2. Bitten

**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**

Chapter two: Bitten

I made some phone calls, took care of some business-related affairs, and went upstairs to change. I stood in the middle of my closet, trying to decide what to wear. Looking for something casual, I ended up in a red sweater and a blue skirt. I glanced quickly at the mirror and decided that I was ready to go see the family I love. Time had no change how I felt about them. _One in particular._

I went to my car, got in, and reversed out of my driveway.

Nervously, I drove toward their house, worrying about Edward's reaction. Would he be mad or happy? I didn't think he'd be upset. I knew he cared for me. He just couldn't love me the way I loved him. At that point all I could do was to hope that he still liked me as a friend.

Their house was about thirty miles from mine. _They live so close_! I drove into their driveway and saw the beautiful mansion, it was probably a hundred years old; painted baby blue, two stories tall, and it had lots of windows.

As soon as I turned off the engine Alice was at my door, looking extremely excited.

"What took you so long?" She whined.

"I told you, I had to take care of something." I reminded her.

She pursed her lips. "O.K., I forgive you. Let's go see the rest of the family." She said, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the house.

As we walked up to the porch, my whole body tensed up. I looked at Alice, and she gave me an encouraging smile as she opened the door for me.

Waiting to greet me, were all the beautiful faces I missed so much.

"Bella!" Esme exclaimed. She ran to me, hugging me tightly. "I missed you." She said, kissing both of my cheeks.

"I missed you too, Esme." I said, grateful to feel the love from her.

I suddenly felt a hand on my right shoulder and saw Carlisle next to me, smiling. "It's nice to see you again, Bella."

"Likewise." I answered timidly.

I saw Emmett walking toward me. I extended my hand to shake his, but to my surprise, he grabbed me into a bear hug and kissed me on the cheek. "I am glad you are here." He said, as he released me from his massive arms, looking at me with a huge grin on his face.

"It's nice to see you, too." I grinned back.

Jasper and Rosalie were standing to my left.

"It's nice to see you again." Jasper smiled but did not get close to me. I just smiled back.

"Hi Bella!" Rosalie said cautiously. It surprised me that she was genuinely happy to see me.

"Hello, Rosalie!" I said.

I turned toward the stairs, looking for him, and I froze. The most beautiful creature my eyes had ever seen, was standing a few feet from me, looking straight at me. He looked the same, not that I expected differently, but I was afraid my memories were flawed, and _they were_. He was even more beautiful than I remembered.

He was looking intensely at me but did not say anything. His eyes were black and the bruises under them were deep purple.

He walked slowly toward me and hugged me fiercely. In that instant, the world stopped. A wave of emotions washed over me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged myself closer to him, re-memorizing his scent. It was better that I remembered.

I don't know how long we stayed like that, lost in our little world. Chuckles and sighs around us reminded me that we were not alone. So I unwillingly pulled away from him.

He released me but then put his hand carefully on both sides of my face and said, "Welcome back."

I looked at his eyes and with his face just inches from mine; I had the urge to kiss him. But I couldn't do it. I needed to respect his feelings. I had to be responsible and do the right thing.

I separated his hands from my face without breaking our eye contact. "Thank you."

Afraid to let my feelings betray me, I turned to look at everyone. "I'm glad to see everybody is doing fine. Thank you for having me."

"This is your home." Esme smiled.

I sighed, feeling grateful for the warm welcomed they offered me.

"O.K." Alice said, grabbing my hand and dragging me toward the couch. "Tell us everything that has happened to you. _With details_." She ordered.

I sat down obediently and they took their place around me, waiting anxiously for the story I was about to tell.

I took a deep breath, looked at each one of them, setting my eyes on Edward, and began.

"Before I tell you what has happened to me in the last three decades, I think I should begin by informing you about a human trait I brought with me when I was changed." I said.

They nodded and I continued. "It seems like I was a very perceptive person, very intuitive, when I was human. And this trait intensified once I became a vampire. I could perceive what you are feeling right now." I said, looking at each one of them.

"You have Jasper's power!" Alice rejoiced.

"Not exactly, Alice." I said. "I could sense your feelings but I can not manipulate them like Jasper does."

I paused for a moment, trying to look for the exact words to describe my ability. "I could sense negativity, love, happiness, people's good and bad intentions." I said.

"Can you sense what we are feeling right now?" Edward asked in a low voice. He was tensed and worried.

I looked at him closely. "What I perceive from everyone right now is happiness, surprise, curiosity and love." I said with gratitude.

"I love all of you the same." I whispered my voice full of emotion and relief. "But I also sense _guilt_." I accused, looking at Edward specifically.

"Bella, I…" He started to explain.

"Edward." I interrupted him. "I know that is hard to control what we feel, but you have to make an effort to stop feeling guilty. It's not your fault. You can't take responsibility for what happened to me."

He looked down and stayed quiet.

I waited until he looked back at me. "I know that you care for me. I could feel it, and I'm very grateful, but the amount of guilt I sense from you, it's _unbearable_ and you need to stop it." I demanded.

He relaxed a little, but the waves of mixed feelings coming from him did not stop. "I'll try my best."

I sighed and decided to let it go for now.

I turned to look at all of them. "My story is long and complicated. But I am going to try my best to recount it and answer all of your questions." I smiled.

"Go ahead." Carlisle encouraged me.

I inhaled deeply and begin. "After you left, I was a mess. Charlie worried about me, and threatened to ship me off to Florida if things didn't change. He wanted me to interact with people, so I got close to Jacob Black. Charlie liked him and was pleased." I decided to omit the real reason I looked for Jacob, _my red motorcycle_

Before they noticed I was editing I continued. "I wasn't expecting to get close to Jacob but it happened. We became good friends. He was my best friend_, my sun_." I said with a smile. "A few months later he became a werewolf."

"Your best friend was a werewolf?" Alice yelled, staring at me with a shocked expression. "They're dangerous dogs." She added.

"There's nothing wrong with werewolves." I said firmly, hurt by her critical tone. " They are good people _and_ they protected me from Laurent and Victoria."

A wave of anger erupted from Edward. "LAURENT AND VICTORIA." He yelled, standing up, fists turned into balls.

"Relax, Edward. They're dead." I informed him.

He tried to relax a little, but the rage still coming from him was scary.

"Jacob's pack took care of it." I assured him.

"But then, who changed you?" Carlisle asked.

"It'll get to that part." I answered still worrying about Edward.

Edward sat back down and I continued. "Thanks to the pack of werewolves, who protected me from Laurent and Victoria, I was able to finish High School. I had no desire of leaving Forks but to make Charlie happy I applied to a couple of Universities and was accepted to the University of South Alaska."

"The day of my departure, I decided to travel, driving my truck. Charlie and Jacob thought it was too dangerous, and insisted on going with me. I refused and left by myself."

I prepared myself for the next part of the story.

"It was on my second night traveling north when it happened. I was deeply submerged in my thoughts that it took me by surprise. It came out of nowhere. I thought it was a bear or an elk. It was dark and big."

"I tried to avoid hitting it and lost control of my truck. All of the sudden I was falling off a cliff and I knew that it was the end, but I was wrong. I was trapped in the wreckage, in pain and aware of everything around me. There was blood everywhere. I couldn't move because most of my bones were broken. And that's when I saw him; a vampire with dark red eyes, looking at me thirsty. I closed my eyes, knowing too well what was about to happen and prayed that it wouldn't take long." I shuddered at the memory.

"He dragged me out of the truck and I felt his sharp teeth on my neck. Out of nowhere there was a wild roar that rang with fury. I opened my eyes and saw this giant wolf attacking the vampire. It was Jacob. He'd followed me to make sure I'd get safe to my destination. And he was not alone. Quil and Embry were with him. The vampire was not match for three werewolves." I said proudly.

" They killed my attacker but it was too late. I had been bitten. I could see the horror on their faces when they realized I was becoming a vampire. Jacob broke down, inconsolable. They didn't know what to do."

I closed my eyes, remembering the horrific moment. "The pain was unbearable and I wished they'd kill me but they couldn't do it. I was their friend."

"They decided to stay with me during my transformation. I begged them to leave. I didn't know if I was going to attack them once I was a vampire, but they stayed." I smiled at the thought.

"On the third day, my transformation was completed. I was a vampire. By then Sam, the alpha wolf, had joined us. He gave me some belongings they'd retrieved from my truck before they set it on fire, and with sadness informed me that I was on my own. He ordered the others to go back home. Jacob refused to leave me, but at the end he couldn't go against the Alpha's orders."

"One by one, they said goodbye to me. Jacob was crying like a little kid. It broke my still heart to see him suffering. He promised me he was going to take care of Charlie; help him through the news of my death. And they left. I was alone and scared, not knowing what to do next."

Remembering the friends I'd lost was very painful.


	3. Good Samaritan

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

Chapter 3: Good Samaritan.

The emotions ran very strong. We remained in silence for a moment. Alice was the first one to break it. "I take back what I said about 'the dogs.'" She said, looking ashamed.

"They're really good people." I said.

"If they're such good people, why did they leave you alone?" Edward growled.

The tone he was using offended me. "They did everything they could do for me; they protected me, they saved me on multiple ocasions, they took care of me during my change. What else could they do? Take me to their families so I could slaughter every person they love?" I said, raising my voice.

He flinched at my words and stayed quiet.

I took a deep breath trying to calm myself. "I'm sorry for raising my voice." I told him, apologetically. "They are my friends and I'll always be grateful to them." I looked into his eyes, hoping that he could forgive my outburst.

"Oh no! He exclaimed. "Don't apologize. I was the one out of line. Please forgive me!" He said.

I smiled, accepting his apology. "Shall we continue?"

They just nodded.

"Once I was alone I decided to go deep into the mountains, as far away from humans as I could. I walked for days hunting animals on my way to nowhere." I said.

"My biggest fear was to come across a human." I looked at them and they understood what I meant.

"I found a very remote place. It was hard to get there, even for a vampire. It was just perfect. A small cave was my shelter where I stayed in during the day and hunted at night."

"I lost track of time. I didn't know how long it'd been since my change. I decided to stay there for eternity. I couldn't risk getting close to civilization. I didn't want to harm people."

"One night, while I was hunting, a foreign scent hit me hard. I figured out that it was a human's. But the next thing I sniffed was blood. It smelled just like I remembered, rust and salt. I started running in the opposite direction, escaping from any possibility of killing someone. And then I realized that the smell was still as repulsive as it was when I was human. I thought it was odd, blood shouldn't smell bad to a vampire. So I turned around and cautiously got closer to the person in distress. A bear was mauling him. Without thinking I freed the man from the animal, stopping the attack."

"He was hurt badly but he was alive, looking at me with wide eyes. He couldn't believe what had just happened; a skinny girl killed a bear with her bare hands in front of his eyes. He thought he was having a nightmare. But I, on the other hand, felt extremely happy that I could be close to a bleeding person without killing him."

Jasper interrupted me. "You have an aversion to human blood?" He asked timidly.

"Yes. I couldn't stand the smell of it when I was human and I guess the feeling intensified with my change." I said proudly.

"Wow. That is truly a gift." He said, amazed by my good fortune.

"It truly is." I said.

They all nodded in agreement.

I smiled and continued with my story. "I approached the human very slowly and he asked me what I was. I explained everything to him and amazingly he was not afraid of me, on the contrary, he was grateful and curious. I carried him to my hide out, took care of his wounds, fed him and protected him. His injuries were serious but not life-threatening; broken bones, bites, scratches."

"During this time we talked a lot. He told me he was an avid hiker looking for something challenging, when he lost his way and encountered the bear. He informed me of events that had happened during my self-seclusion. I found out that I'd been a vampire for three years, although it seemed longer."

"A week after the bear attack, and since I wasn't afraid of civilization anymore, I offered to carry him near town so he could take care of his injuries properly. He accepted my offer with the condition that I'd stay in his house until I decided what to do with my life. I agreeded. There wasn't really much to think about. I didn't want to spend eternity in a cave when I knew I wouldn't hurt anybody." I stayed quiet for a few seconds remembering the good fortune I had by finding him.

"What was his name?" Alice asked, bringing me back from my memories.

"His name was Albert." I said, sighing. "I carried Albert to his home. It was a beautiful house in the outskirts of Fairbanks. He lived alone. In exchange for shelter, I would cook and clean the house. He wasn't too fond of domestic chores. He reminded me of Charlie." I smiled.

"As a businessman, he worried about my future, and offered to pay for my education, but I only accepted his economic help as a loan. I finally attended the University of Alaska. The career I chose was Business Administration. I needed to start living undependably and return all the money he'd spent on me. He also helped me with my first business venture. I learned everything I know through him."

"What type of business do you operate?" Carlisle asked.

"Real Estate. And I also invest in the stock market."

"How do you manage it?" Jasper asked.

"A financial firm in New York, represents me on every affair. I found them through Albert, they'd managed his businesses for decades and they've worked for my little company, for more than twenty years."

"What's your company's name?" Emmett asked.

I smiled. "Swan Enterprise."

They all laughed at my lack of originality.

"All right, enough with the business talk. She has a story to finish." Alice said.

"Well, that's pretty much it. I could add that I'm a martial arts expert." I joked.

They all looked at me puzzled by my words.

"Albert was a little over protective. He insisted on teaching me some fighting techniques he'd learned so I could fend for myself once I was alone. The whole concept was comical but I went along with it, just to give him peace of mind." I shook my head, smiling as I remembered the fragile human teaching the vampire how to fight.

"We were family. I stayed with him for seven years. And then it was time for me to move on. I've been living alone for the last twenty-two years, and at this particular place for five months." I concluded.

"What happened to Albert?" Esme asked.

"He died five years ago." I said with sadness.

Carlisle walked toward me, hugging me for the first time. "We are sorry for your loss."

"Thank you."

They all stayed quiet, respecting my pain. Remembering Albert's death was saddening. I missed him so much. He was like a second father to me.

"There you have it. Any questions?" I asked.

"Only a million." Alice answered.

"Alice!" Edward rebuked. "Do not overwhelm Bella with your questioning right now." He ordered. "There'll be plenty of time in the future." He said, looking at me with the smile that made my knees weak.

"It's okay, Edward. I don't mind." I said.

"I do have an important question for Bella." Alice said, rolling her eyes at Edward.

"It's about your 'gift'." She said.

"What about it?" I asked.

"You said you could sense our feelings toward you." She said and I nodded. "And you also said you feel the love we have for you."

"Yes." I confirmed.

"Can you feel the _intensity_ of the love each one of us have for you?" She said, and I didn't miss how she looked vaguely at Edward .

"I could feel love in general. The motherly love coming from Esme and the sisterly love coming from you I perceive it the same. I guess I haven't learned to distinguish the different types of love because I haven't interacted with people long enough to create a bond. I don't know how to differentiate love, much less the intensity of it." I said, trying to explain something I wasn't completely clear about.

"Before today, I had only sensed love from Albert; a fatherly love. And now I sense it from all of you with no distinction. I just know it's love." I concluded my complicated explanation.

"Great!" Alice said, sarcasm in her voice. "You know we love you but do not know how much we love you." She added, disappointment clearly on her face.

"It's okay, Alice. Give me some time to discover the intensity of your love for me. But I already know you love me like a sister" I said trying to cheer her up.

"We all know that." She said it as a fact. "I meant E…"

"Alice!" Edward interrupted her. "I think it's enough questioning for know."

I knew something was going on between those two. But I was too afraid to find out.

"I have another question." She said.

"Go ahead."

"I don't understand why I didn't see anything, when you were in danger. Not only once, but three times. I should have seen you. Even if I wasn't looking into your life, I should've gotten a flash or something. It doesn't make any sense."

"I don't know what to tell you, Alice. I have no idea."

Carlisle cleared his throat. "I have a theory."

We all turned to look at him. "There was a common factor during those events; the presence of werewolves." He paused, analyzing his theory. "They might have some kind of defense mechanism against us, against our powers. And since they were participants in of those events, somehow they blocked their actions from your vision. Bella was in the middle of it, her fate was blocked along with theirs."

"That makes sense. But it's awfully inconvenient." Alice whined, pouting like a little girl.

We all laughed at her childish reaction.

I suddenly realized that it was already morning. I'd been talking all night. "How rude of me. I've been talking nonstop for so many hours. I am sorry." I apologized.

"Don't apologize, my dear" Esme said.

"I better get going." I informed them.

"Will you come back soon?" Esme asked me with pleading eyes.

"I'll come as often as you want me to." I assured her, hugging and kissing her on the cheek.

"I'll see you around. And thank you for having me." I said looking at everyone before heading for the door.

"I'll walk you to your car." A beautiful velvet voice said.

"It's not necessary. Please don't bother yourself." I said.

"Don't be ridiculous." He grimaced. "I don't mind." He assured me.

We walked side by side. So close to each other that I craved to touch his face like I did so many times before. I didn't only want to touch his face, I wanted to kiss him, feel his body pressed against mine, smell his fantastic scent. So many things I would do to him…but I reminded myself to be conscious of his feelings.

He chuckled, bringing me back from my reverie. He was looking at my car. "An Audi?" He asked.

"Well, someone once told me that I would love it. Very quite, lots of power…." I teased him reminding him of his own words.

"You remember?" He asked surprised.

"Of course I remember. Why wouldn't I? I remember everything," I said.

He tensed up and looked into my eyes, indecisive about something.

He closed his eyes briefly and sighed. "Bella, I need to talk to you about something important."

I knew he wanted to talk about that awful day. I could sense it.

He took a deep breath. "I owe you an apology, an explanation. That day…"

"Edward." I interrupted him. I needed to evade any retelling of that awful day. I wouldn't survive if I heard it once more, coming from his lips. I had to talk first."You don't owe me an apology. That day, you left me because you didn't feel the same way I did, and that's not your fault. You cannot control your feelings or command your heart. I know and understand it better than anyone. I also left Jacob for the same reasons you left me. He fell in love with me, and I could only love him as a brother. That fact made my decision to leave easier. Please believe me when I say _I understand_." I paused to make sure he understood. "Don't torture yourself about it. _It's not your fault"_

"But…" He insisted.

"No." I interrupted him again, placing my index finger on his lips. "Please Edward. I don't want to talk about it." I pleaded. "Can we just move on from this point on. Please?"

He nodded still unconvinced.

"By the way." I said, desperately trying to change the subject. "You should go hunting." I suggested as I looked up at his face. His eyes were too dark. The rings under them were deep purple, almost black. "It's not safe." I frowned in disapproval.

"Your wish is my command." He joked, showing me the smile that never failed to affect me.

"Thank you." I whispered as I got in my car. "Bye."

"See you later." He corrected me.

I smiled and drove away.

A/N: Next chapter E&B's interaction begins!


	4. Back to School

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_Chapter 4: Back to school_

.

When I arrived home, I jumped up and down in the middle of my living room, letting the emotions take over me. I was ecstatic. Happiness was something I had not felt in a long time. And it felt good. The Cullens didn't reject me. Edward didn't reject me. On the contrary, he was genuinely happy to see me.

Right there, I made my decision; I would stay close to them for as long as they wanted me around. It wouldn't matter if it were a couple of months or a couple of years. But as soon as I'd wear out my welcome, I'd force myself to leave. Until that day, I'd enjoy every second of their presence. His presence.

I smiled at my declaration and ran upstairs to the Attic. I had converted it into a studio, where I would spend countless hours thinking, meditating and painting. It was my sanctuary.

Painting had become my number one hobby, after reading. All my memories and thoughts were plastered on the numerous canvases I had painted over the years. It kept me sane. The paintings were the mirror of my feelings. I spent the rest of the day in my studio. Later at night I did my schoolwork and then I went hunting.

The next day finally came and the hours went by agonizingly slow. Afternoon courses, three times a week was not that appealing anymore. I wished I had taken more classes, which meant more time with Alice. But what I had was better than nothing. Going back to school had a different meaning now.

As I arrived to the faculty parking lot, I saw them. They were waiting for me. My smile grew even bigger when I saw Edward with them. I parked my car, retrieved my textbooks and walked toward them. Alice couldn't wait for me to reach them. She ran, human paced, toward me and hugged me fiercely.

"I missed you." She whined.

"I missed you too, Alice." I answered. I truly did.

"Hello Bella, how are you today." Edward greeted me; touching my left arm, sending shivers down my spine.

I quickly recovered my poise and smiled at him. "I'm doing okay. Thank you." I replied. "And I see you're doing much better today." I added, looking at his beautiful topaz eyes.

"Much, much better." He smiled back.

"I'm glad to hear that." I said and turned to Jasper and greeted him. "And how are you?"

"I am fine. Thank you."

"Let's get going. We don't want to be late." Alice said, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the building.

"Wait a second, Alice. Where are you going?" I asked, realizing we probably have classes in different buildings. I didn't see them on my first day of school until our classes were over.

"To our first class, silly." She answered, stating the obvious.

"I know. What is your first class? Because if I remember correctly we do not share any classes." I said.

"We do now." She smiled. "We did a few changes and now we have the same schedule. Isn't great." She said enthusiastically.

I smiled. "What about you, Edward? I was under the impression that you were not going through school at this time."

"I wasn't. But I changed my mind and decided to join you. I thought it might be interesting. An experience I wouldn't miss for anything in the world." He said.

"But registration was over. How…" I started rambling.

"I know a few people, moved a few strings." He said with a broad smile.

" God, What did you do?" I asked. "You know what, I don't want to know." I concluded.

We started walking through campus. And for the first time I didn't mind people's gawking. I didn't care. The only thing that mattered, was the company next to me.

We made it to our first class on time. The professor had no arrived yet. We walked toward the back of the classroom and sat down. Edward chose the seat on my right and Alice the one on my left.

As soon as Professor Smith entered the room, Alice got up and went to make the introductions, handing her the transfer slips. She read the documents, looked at Alice, turning to see Edward and Jasper and welcomed them. Alice graciously returned to her seat and the class began.

The Class was Literature. A subject I particularly enjoyed but was not new to me. It was my third time taking it. I started wondering how many times they'd taken it as well.

I couldn't stop myself from peeking to my right, and every time I looked I found him staring at me. I could only smile and he would smile back. He looked gorgeous. It was painful having him so close yet so far away. _Just enjoy the fact that he is close to you, Bella. If only…._ A sudden movement on my left brought me back from my thoughts. I looked at Alice and she seemed to be paying attention to the lecture, but then I saw a little piece of paper on my desk. I opened it

_What a fashion disaster! _

_Her shoes do not match her outfit._

_Those colors are so last season_

_The glasses are too big for her face_

_And don't let me start with her hair_

I smiled, looking at her angelical face when another piece of paper was delivered from my right. I felt like a third grader, passing notes under the teacher's nose. The difference was that this time I would not get caught, due to our vampire speed. It was fun. I read the note

_Is she bothering you?_

_If she were getting on your nerves, I could gladly make her stop._

I took the same note and wrote

_She's not bothering me. She is funny and entertaining. _

_And I think I can handle her myself._

And I slipped the paper back to him.

As soon as I delivered my note to Edward, Alice shoved another piece of paper at me.

_She desperately needs a make over! _

_But she's not the only one._

As I finished reading her note I turned to her and she was looking at me with devious eyes. I immediately started panicking.

I looked back at Edward and he was smiling. He wrote something and passed it to me.

_Are you sure you don't want my help?_

_I know she is tiny but she could be diabolic._

I wrote back

_I'm reconsidering your offer._

_I might need it after all._

I looked at Alice and she was staring at me with pleading eyes. I shook my head vigorously and mouthed 'no way'. She smiled confidently and I knew I'd lost.

Once the class was over, Alice and Jasper left without saying a word. I stayed behind, with Edward by my side, which seemed to be enjoying my pain. He got closer to me and whispered in my ear: "_I'll protect you." _My knees became weak when I felt his proximity, his sweet breath touching my face. I looked at his beautiful eyes and whispered "Thank you," as we headed to our second class.

Our second class went on serenely. Alice was _too _quiet. I was sure that she was deviously planning my make-over. I sighed defeated and sulked in my chair, pretending to pay attention to the professor.

On our way to our third and final class, Edward looked intently into my worry eyes. "You don't have to let Alice have her way." He said. "Besides, you do not need a make over. You are as beautiful as always."

If I were human I would be blushing. I didn't know what to respond to that so I looked down and hurried my pace to catch up with Alice. And made her promise me not to go overboard. "I won't go be doing any physical changes to you, you are a vampire, you're perfect. It's your wardrobe what desperately needs and upgrade." She said.

I looked down at my T-shirt, jeans and pullover. "What's wrong with my clothes?"

She shook her head, disappointment on her face and kept walking without answering me. I just went along with her.

As the four of us entered the room I remembered that it was my class with Kyle. He was already there and greeted me with a huge grin. "Hello beautiful."

Edward stiffened next to me and a low hiss escaped his lips.

"Can you please call me Bella?" I asked.

"Well, Bella means beautiful. I think I prefer beautiful. Beautiful." Kyle said.

Edward's jaw flexed. His eyes looked murderous. A low growl rumbled deep in his throat.

_What could Kyle be thinking to get this reaction from Edward? _I shuddered at the thought._ I rather not know_

I quickly took my seat next to Kyle and gave Edward a warning look. He nodded, acknowledging my concerns and sat right behind us.

I was worry about the situation; Kyle was probably having dirty thoughts about me, and Edward being the gentleman that he was, would not tolerate it. I could only hope that he wouldn't overreact.

As soon as Professor McKnight entered the room Alice handed the transfer slip and went back to her seat next to Jasper, giving Edward a warning look as she passed by him.

The professor looked at Edward. "I'm sorry but this lab is supposed to be done with a partner." She informed him.

"I could join Ms. Swan's group if you don't mind." He offered. His voice was low and attractive, dazzling her instantly. _Why is he doing this? Please say no, please say no!_

"I suppose it's alright." She said, definitely dazzled by his charms. "Miss Swan, Mr. Rivers could you please move to the last desk. It's roomier. You will be working with Mr. Cullen." She added.

We slowly rose from our seats and walked to our newly assigned desk. Edward was already there, waiting for us. He held out a chair for me, next to him. I glared at him. He gave me an innocent look and smiled. Kyle was not happy either but for a different reason.

The three of us started working on the project quietly. Edward's closeness made me a little uneasy and every time his arm touched mine accidentally, chills would run down my spine. Of course it didn't go unnoticed by him. A small smile played on his beautiful face; I had to concentrate on keeping my composure.

It was ridiculous how they tried to be on charge of the whole thing. My only role was, playing referee. And because of their testosterone-fueled behavior we were done before anyone else. We put down our drawing tools and stayed in silence. Edward was the first one to break it. "Esme was wondering when you are going back to visit us."

"I don't know. I really haven't thought about it." I lied.

"Maybe tonight is a good time." He smiled.

"Maybe." I said.

"Do you know each other?" Kyle interrupted

I was about to answer when Edward said, "It's none of your concern."

I glared at him. He didn't have to be rude. "We went to high school together." I answered him.

"Lucky him!" Kyle muttered.

Edward snickered, probably reading his mind. I tried to ignore him.

"Are you going to the Football Game this Saturday? I'll be playing." Kyle asked with pleading eyes.

"She doesn't like sports." Edward answered for me.

Kyle ignored him. "Would you go?"

"Sorry, I can't. But I wish you Good Luck." I said. I then turned to Edward and added, "And I do like Football."

"Really?" Edward said. A surprised smile lit his face.

"There are a lot of things you don't know about me." I said with a wicked smile._ Oh no! I'm flirting! What's wrong with me?_

"Well then, I have a lot of catching up to do, to get to know you better." He said, looking intently into my eyes. _Is he flirting back?_ I wasn't sure_. So much for being perceptive Bella, if you can't even tell if he's flirting or not._

I looked away not knowing what to say. Kyle interrupted my thoughts. "I hope you could make it to any of our games. It's really fun." He said.

"Maybe." I lied. As much as I loved football I was not about to interact with humans.

The class was finally over. We rose from our seats. "I'll see you Friday. Beautiful." Kyle said, leaving the room without waiting for a reply.

I repressed a sigh but a growl rumbled low on Edward's chest.

"Stop that." I snapped.

"If you knew what's going through his mind, you wouldn't defend him so much." He said, his tone bleak.

"First of all, I am not defending him and I don't need your talent to know what he's thinking." My tone became pleading. " But you should know better than anyone how human minds work. We just have to try to ignore them."

He sighed. "You're right. I'll work on my self-control." He promised. "But, I will not allow any disrespect toward you, from him or anyone else."

It was kind of funny how he still thought of me as a weak, defenseless girl. And in a sick kind of way, I liked it. "Okay." I agreed, ending the argument.

When we got to the parking lot Alice and Jasper were waiting for us next to my car. "You were about to pounce on that kid." Jasper told Edward, shaking with laughter.

Anger flashed in his eyes but said nothing.

"The night is young! What are we doing?" Alice asked.

"I don't know. Whatever you want to do." I answered.

"Let's go to your house!" She said.

"That's fine with me. But I'm warning you, there's nothing interesting in my house and we'll be done with the tour in less than five minutes." I said.

She laughed. "Let me go get my car and we will follow you. Edward, you ride with Bella. Jasper, come with me." Alice ordered. And she left to get her car without giving anyone a chance to challenge her instructions.

"Can you believe that such a small creature could be so bossy?" Edward joked.

I didn't answer him. I only smiled at him, afraid that he would notice how nervous I was. _This is going to be a hell of a ride. Breathe normally, In, Out, In, Out…_


	5. Proposition

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_Chapter 5: Proposition_

Having Edward in my car was not as tense as I thought it would be. His beautiful laughter filled the enclosed space when I told him how much I missed my truck. He fiddled with the stereo until he found a song he liked and sang along with his amazing velvety voice. He complimented my speed, and I remembered how his driving skills used to make me nervous.

"What kind of car do you have?" I asked.

His smile strangely faded. "I do not own a car at this moment." He said.

"Why not?" I asked.

For some reason, he seemed to get uncomfortable with my question. "I'm in the process of acquiring one." He said, looking away.

"Oh." I said, deciding not to continue with my questioning.

At that moment we turned onto the dirt road that would lead to my house. After a few miles, we could finally see it; surrounded by huge cedars, the little place I called home.

We parked on the driveway and Alice immediately joined us, parking her sporty black Mercedes next to my not so spectacular Audi.

I walked toward the door, opened it and welcomed them in.

They walked in, with Alice leading the way.

I closed the door but stayed by the entrance letting them roam free through the open space. I had the walls removed from the original rooms to create the very wide space. But the windows were part of the original structure. I painted the walls white, giving brightness to the room .

Edward walked around slowly, running his fingers on each furniture, frame and decoration, finally stopping in front of the big oil painting, on a plain wooden frame, hanging on the west wall of the living room.

The painting illustrated a beach with a driftwood tree that had its roots sticking out, like legs of a spider, and rainbow colored pebbles around it, encircled by a few clouds around the sky and a sunset on the horizon.

"It's beautiful!" Edward exclaimed admiring the painting.

"An exquisite piece!" Jasper said.

"Where did you find it? Who is the artist?" Alice asked.

I was embarrassed to tell them that I was the one who painted it. "It's First Beach at La Push." I informed them.

Realization hit the three of them at the same time. They turned to me with wide eyes.

"You created this beautiful piece?" Edward asked, his mouth open in astonishment.

"It's not that good. If you were allowed to go there you would see how beautiful it really is. I did no justice to its beauty." I stated.

"Don't be modest, Bella. It's beautiful, exquisite, ravishing, heavenly…"

"Stop!" I interrupted him. "You are embarrassing me." I almost shouted.

We stood in silence. Suddenly, Alice took out her cell phone and made a call.

"Hello, Esme? We're at Bella's. You've got to see this. Bring everyone." She then continued to give her directions. She closed her phone and smiled at me.

"What do you think you are doing?" I demanded.

"What? They're not welcome in your house?" She pretended to wince in horror.

"Aw, Alice." I groaned. "You're killing me!"

"We should wait for the rest of the family to continue the tour, so you only do it once." Edward offered.

"Sure." I agreed, frustrated by their bossiness.

Silently, he was at my side, taking my hands in his. "Please, don't be upset." He pleaded, looking into my eyes. His eyes were full of concern.

I realized I was acting immature. I took a deep breath and looked at them. "I'm sorry." I said, letting my hands free from Edward's. "Please, take a seat while we wait for the rest." I offered.

Alice and Jasper sat comfortably in the living room, and Edward continued exploring around the house. He was going through my small CD collection when the rest of the family arrived.

I opened the door. "Welcome."

"Beautiful house!" Esme said.

"Thank you."

They made their way to the living room and as soon as they saw the painting, they started praising my 'master piece'. I graciously accepted their compliments and invited them to see the rest of the house.

We headed to the second floor where my bedroom, guestroom and office were located. Jasper and Carlisle asked about my computer's software programs and were pleased to know that everything was up to date. Jasper offered to install some of the newest programs that were still not available in the U.S. I accepted his offer.

We moved to the next room. "This is the guestroom." I gestured to the small room filled with boxes of books and then I led them toward my bedroom. "My room," I said, opening the door and letting them in.

Alice walked straight to my closet, examining my wardrobe minutely. She asked Rosalie to join her and the two of them started making an inventory. I started panicking.

"You're in so much trouble!" Emmett teased.

"I feel sorry for you." Jasper joined the teasing.

"I'll protect you." Edward offered, his lips twitching, trying to contain a smile.

"Don't think I won't hold you to that!" I informed him.

"This painting is just as beautiful as the one downstairs." Esme exclaimed. She was referring to the painting above my bed's headrest. It displayed a small two-floored house. A big tree in the middle of the front yard and a cruiser parked on the driveway.

"It's Charlie's' house," I whispered.

"We know, honey." Esme said, hugging me and bringing me closer to her. I welcomed the embrace. We stood like that for a few seconds. I'd forgotten how much I missed a motherly affection.

I slowly stepped back from her and looked around the room. The girls were still working in my closet, Jasper and Emmett stayed by the door talking to each other. Carlisle was by the window enjoying the view, Esme soon joined him. And Edward was looking at some books I had on my night table.

"Are these any good?" He asked, holding three books by the same author.

"Have you been living under a rock?" I asked incredulously.

He tensed and did not say a word. I immediately knew he was hiding something.

"Those are the best books written in the last decade. Where have you been?" I asked, looking intently at him, trying to figure out his vagueness.

He didn't answer. He looked away from my gaze nervously.

Carlisle turned away from the window. "She's a good writer." He noted. "Her fourth book will be released next year."

I looked at Carlisle and smiled. I knew he was trying to spare Edward from my questioning. So I did not insist anymore.

"I already reserved my copy." I said proudly. I looked at Edward. "You can take those with you." I offered.

"Oh no. I wouldn't want to cause you any inconvenience by taking your favorite books from you." He smiled.

I pointed at my face. "Vampire, remember? Photographic memory." I informed him

He let out a laugh. "If you insist." He said, holding the books against his chest. _Lucky books!_

"Do you want to see the basement?" I asked, specifically looking at Emmett.

"What do you have in there?" He asked suspiciously.

"A custom-made trampoline." I informed him.

"What are we waiting for?" He shouted with excitement.

"We are done!" Alice said, finally emerging from my closet. Rosalie walked right beside her.

"You only have casual clothing in your closet!" Rosalie said shaking her head.

"Shocking, isn't?" Alice said. "But we're going to fix this horror. Aren't we, Rose?" She asked with a devious smile.

"We certainly are." Rosalie answered, looking at me from head to toe.

I turned to Emmett. "Let's go to the basement." I said in a hurry.

We were leaving my bedroom when Edward noticed a door leading to the attic.

"What's in the attic?" He asked.

I froze. "Nothing of importance." I said, looking away so he wouldn't notice my nervousness.

"Can we see it?" He asked, guessing I was hiding something.

"No!" I said and started walking down the stairs.

We got to the basement and I opened the door, letting them in. They looked around my little exercise room.

"Why a trampoline?" Edward asked.

"It was Albert's idea. He thought I should practice my combat moves in mid-air. Overprotective. Remember?"

He laughed, and I committed the sound to my memory.

Alice and Rosalie were trying the trampoline, laughing while doing somersaults. Emmett and Jasper were looking at them, enjoying the view.

"How often do you train?" Carlisle asked.

"Everyday." I answered. "It keeps my mind busy." I added.

Carlisle smiled understanding the need to make yourself busy when you have endless hours to spare. He then grabbed Esme's hand and walked toward the girls.

I stood there watching them having fun.

"It's your studio. Isn't?" Edward whispered in my ear, referring to the attic. I shivered due to his closeness.

I just nodded.

"I won't insist today but I am extremely curious to see all the magnificent work you've created." He said softly. His lips barely grazing my earlobe making me shuddered.

I couldn't answer. I closed my eyes, enjoying the moment. I wanted to tell him how much I'd missed him, how much I loved him. I wanted to feel his lips on mine.

Emmett's voice brought me back to reality. "This is the coolest place, Bella." He yelled with excitement.

I took a couple of steps away from Edward and concentrated on answering Emmett as coherent as possible. "You can use it as often as you want." I offered.

"Really?" He said. "I'll be here so much you'll get tired of me." He joked.

"I highly doubt that, Emmett." I said. "No one can ever get tired of you."

He then ran toward me and grabbed me in a massive bear hug. "Thank you, Bella." He said, kissing me on the cheek.

I just giggled like a little girl.

* * *

We walked up to the living room and sat around the fireplace. Edward was looking at the CDs as he did before.

"You have a lovely home." Esme said, breaking the silence.

"Thank you."

"We should have a wrestling match!" Emmett challenged.

"If you want to lose!" I joked.

"Oh, You're on." He said.

"Name the place and time." I ordered.

"My house, tomorrow at 10:00 a.m." He said.

"Deal!" And we shook hands.

"This is going to be interesting." Jasper mumbled.

Carlisle interrupted our little chat "Bella. We have a proposition for you. It's more like a request."

I listened attentively.

"We wanted to ask you to give us the pleasure to join our family. To become our daughter." He offered, his eyes full of sincerity.

His proposal took me by surprise. Being part of the Cullens was a dream I had, even before becoming a vampire. I was overwhelmed with happiness, that if I were human I would start crying. And I would have said yes in a flash, if it weren't for Edward. I could not impose my presence on him, forever. So I regrettably had to decline such a priceless offer.

I had to phrase it very carefully. I didn't want to hurt their feelings. "I appreciate from the bottom of my heart this beautiful offer. I would've loved to be part of your family but I'm afraid that right now it's not the most appropriate time. But our friendship is very important to me, that even when we go separate ways; I wouldn't want to loose contact with you ever again. I hope you understand that this decision has nothing to do with the way I feel about you." I said as I looked at all of their beautiful faces except Edward's.

"Honey, you don't have to make a decision right now. Take your time, think about it, and then say yes." Esme said stroking my face with the back of her hand. A beautiful smile played on her lips.

"I'll think about it." I promised, not wanting to keep rejecting them.

"Yay!" Alice squealed, clapping her tiny hands.

Edward stood in silence.

"Okay, let's talk about your fighting techniques." Emmett said.

"What do you want to know?" I asked.

"Well. You seem way too confident about it. How do you know they work, if you could never try them on Albert, him being human and all." He analyzed.

"You're right. I never practiced them on Albert because I would've killed him. But I had a fight with a cov…" I stopped myself from saying something I didn't want to share. I thought about backtracking but it was too late. Edward had an alarmed expression on his face, and I didn't know how to take it back.

I tried to play it down "Anyway, you'll find out tomorrow if they work or not."

"Oh no! You said you had a fight with a coven. What happened?" Edward asked, his hands were balled up in fists.

"Not much. I met a coven of three vampires. They wanted me to join them. I refused. End of story." I nervously laughed.

"Bella?" He growled.

"All right." I said. "But let me warn you. It's not pleasant."

He nodded, acknowledging the warning.

I sighed. "It happened in Alaska, five years ago. Albert had just died. I was hunting deep in the mountains looking for big game when I found them. One male and two females."

I looked at them and knew that the trio reminded them of James' coven. "They were intrigued about my life style. They said they had heard about it but didn't believe it."

"Once they knew I was alone, the male offered me to join their coven. I refused civilly and he took it as a challenge. In his mind there was no possible reason for me to refuse their company. The two females did not agree with his desire of extending their 'family'.

"I stayed with them, in the mountains, for weeks; afraid that if I went back home, they would follow me and kill innocent people. During that time he tried to persuade me. He thought I would be a good mate for him." From the corner of my eye I saw Edward tensed and his breathing stopped abruptly.

I continued. "Sara and Glenna, the two females, were loosing their patience. They were fuming at the idea of Richard finding a mate. They were secretly in love with him and hoped that he'd choose one of them."

"I didn't know how to get rid of them without a fight. So I patiently waited for them to leave me alone. It didn't happen. They would take turns guarding me under Richard's orders."

"One day, Richard went hunting, somewhere near the city, leaving the two women in charge. So they decided to kill me."

"Glenna was the first one to attack me. She charged at me from the left but I was quicker. I moved at the exact second and her body flew through the spot where I was standing. I took advantage of the confusion and grabbed her from behind, lifting her through the air and throwing her against some trees. She quickly recovered, looked at Sara and the two of them decided to attack me at the same time."

"As they launched at me from two fronts I quickly moved making them crash into each other. At that moment I grabbed Glenna from her arm and spun her through the air using her as a weapon against Sara. They fell on top of each other and before they were able to recover, I was on top of them, joint locking them, using their own arms and legs. A technique that Albert taught me." I said proudly.

I looked at their shocked faces. "Anyway, at that exact moment Richard arrived and couldn't believe what he saw. He approached us slowly; promised me that he would no hurt me and asked me to let go of them."

"I didn't have any other option but to trust him. Besides, I did not want to kill them. I was only defending myself." I explained.

"I slowly released them from my grip while explaining to Richard what had happened. He looked at them murderously, but understood that our little family was never meant to be."

"They left and I never saw them again." I concluded.

They were shocked and didn't know what to say. Emmett was the first one to speak "WOW! That was so cool! We are going to have so much fun with you around!" He said, getting a glare from Edward and Rosalie.

"NO, no!" Esme almost shouted. 'Honey, you cannot continue to live alone and unprotected. Now you have a family. Nothing that horrible is ever going to happen to you again. I will not allow it!" She said.

"It's okay, Esme. It won't happen again, I've taken precautions." I assured her.

"What type of precautions?" Edward asked, his face still contorted by anger.

"Well, I don't go deep into the mountains anymore, when I hunt. I settle for the near elk or dear." I said. "And talking about that. Can I please tag along next time you go hunting? I would like to get my hands on some big prey. I haven't had one in a long time." I laughed, desperately trying to change the subject.

Edward noticed my attempt at diverting from the subject. He sighed. "Of course. How about this Saturday?"

"Saturday sounds good." I said.

"It's late. We should be leaving." Carlisle said. "Thank you for having us. And please, promise us that you'll think about our proposal?"

"I will. And thank you for coming!" I said.

I walked them to the door and hugged each one of them goodbye, leaving Edward for last. I was a little bit indecisive. I didn't know if I should hug him or just shake hands. He resolved my dilemma by hugging me. He then kissed me on the cheek and left. I closed the door and stood there rubbing my cheek feeling the trail of fire his lips left on my cold skin. I felt like I was floating.

After a few minutes I could finally walk again and went straight to my studio.

_Life is good Bella. Enjoy it while it last!_


	6. Hunt

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_Chapter 6: Hunting._

Nine o'clock rolled in and I was thrilled to be going back to the Cullen's for some fun with Emmett. I chose my clothes carefully; some stretchable black pants and a green sweatshirt. And I got dressed in a flash. At nine forty-five I was on my way to the big wrestling match with Edward's favorite brother. When I got there, Emmett and Alice were sitting on the porch, waiting for me.

I jumped out of my car. "Good morning!"

Alice walked toward me and kissed me on the cheek. "Today, you could have your fun with Emmett. Tomorrow we're going shopping!"

I stifled a groan. "Sure"

"We'll do this in the backyard" Emmett said, grabbing my hand and taking me around the house toward the open space in the back. A few minutes later the rest of the family joined us. Edward didn't look too happy. He was actually worried. He couldn't grasp the fact that I was a vampire. He was concerned about my safety.

"Okay, Emmett. Are you ready to get your butt kicked or did you decide not to get dirty?" I teased.

"Oh I am ready!" He shouted back.

We took our positions and the games began.

All the techniques I'd learned from Albert came in handy. I was good at evading him but once he got a hold of me I couldn't fight his strength. It was a pretty even match. Every time Emmett would pin me down on the ground I would glance up at Edward who was cringing like it caused him real physical pain.

I finally managed to bring Emmett down. I was on top of him. "Sorry Emmett. I think I won this match." I whispered in his ear.

"Not so fast!" He mumbled. In a very quick movement, he flipped us and then I was on the ground, face down with him on my back.

"I think I'm the winner." He whispered.

I was not giving up so easy, so I rolled up onto him, placing my legs over his body, joint-locking him to stop him from escaping. "Nope. I definitely won this one." I said.

Emmett burst into a roar of laughter. "You truly are a frightening one."

I laughed and freed him from my lock. I looked at Edward and his worry expression was replaced by a grin.

We continued wrestling for most of the morning. He won four matches, I won five, and seven ended up in a tie. Although he was at the losing end, he was very happy.

When we called it at day, Edward walked toward me and whispered, "Impressive. Next time it's my turn." _Edward pinning me down, his body touching mine…_ I trembled at the thought.

The rest of the day we stayed indoors, chatting and relaxing. We watched two movies; an action one chosen by Emmett and Alice's favorite romantic comedy. I barely remember what they were about, because Edward was sitting next to me, really close to me. I had to concentrate on not jumping him right there on the couch. I crossed my arms tightly across my chest to avoid the overpowering craving to touch him. It was maddening.

The movie ended past midnight, and I stretched my arms out and announced my departure. Edward walked me to my car; I turned to say goodbye. His face was so beautiful that the ache to touch him returned. I bit my lip. "Thank you for having me."

"Thank you for being here. And thank you for letting me borrow your books." He said, handing them to me.

"I hope you enjoyed them."

"I did. Thanks again."

I smiled, got in my car and drove away quickly, before the impulse to kiss him overpowered me.

* * *

At nine in the morning, I heard a car parking on my driveway. I rushed downstairs not wanting to make Alice wait. I was surprised to see Rosalie in the back seat.

"Hurry up! I want to be there before they open." Alice yelled.

"We are thirty minutes from the mall. With your driving, we'll make it in five, and they won't open until ten. What is your hurry? I asked.

"Don't you start, Bella Swan!" She snapped. "You promised!"

I laughed. "Okay, I'll be good. But remember, we have to be back by four." I reminded her as I sat next to her.

She nodded and started driving like a maniac.

When the mall finally opened, Alice dragged me from store to store choosing outfits without even bothering to ask for my opinion. Rosalie was just as bad. The operation was simple; they'd choose my clothes, I'd try them on and model, and they were happy.

Three hours later, we walked into a fancy store, and after gathering a considerable amount of clothing I walked into the dressing room and started the agonizing process. I was trying on my fifth outfit when I found this cute pink sweater. It was long and soft. And it fit perfectly on my body. I liked it. "I like this one." I said.

"Which one?" Rosalie asked.

"The long pink sweater."

"Sweater? Let me see it." Alice said.

I open the door and stepped out of the dressing room. The sweater was long enough to cover my butt so I didn't mind coming out.

They looked at each other and laughed. I looked at them, confused. "Silly Bella, that's not a sweater, it's a dress." Alice said.

I looked down at the length of the so-called dress. "No way. This can't be a dress."

"Yes it is." Rosalie said. "And it looks really cute on you."

"I'm not wearing this." I informed them

"Why not? You have fabulous legs. It's sexy." Alice said.

"Are you crazy? What happens to being inconspicuous?" I whispered.

"Being inconspicuous doesn't mean we can't be ' à la mode'." Rosalie said with her perfect French.

"I don't care about being 'à la mode'. I am not wearing this and that's final." I said, fuming.

"Okay. You don't need to get mad. It's just a dress. And if you don't want it, we won't take." Alice said.

"Okay." I said.

After the mini-dress incident, we visited two more stores where they bought some dresses for themselves. I was relieved that I wasn't their main focus anymore. My little outburst had showed them that I'd had enough for one day.

We finally made it to our last stop, a lingerie store. I figured they wanted to choose some items for them. I stood, leaning on a wall observing them while they chose different types of bras and underwear. They walked toward my direction, holding some very sexy silk and lace panties and bras. They held them up, showing them to me. "What do you think?" Rosalie asked.

"Cute?" I said and it sounded like a question.

"I'm glad you like them. They're for you." Alice said.

I shook my head. " No thank you. I like cotton."

"Cotton is for little girls." Rosalie said.

I looked at her narrowing my eyes. "To each their own."

"You already refused a beautiful dress. You're taking these." Alice said.

"You can buy them, if you want to waste your money. But I will not wear them."

"Wanna bet?" Alice said confidently.

"Whatever." I said rolling my eyes at her, but feeling a little uneasy.

She turned around and went to pay for the items. Rosalie stood next to me chuckling, and I bit my lip nervously.

As promised, Alice had me back at home by four. I ran to my room, dropped all the bags on my bed and started to get ready for school.

I arrived to campus before they did. Soon they joined me and everything went smooth. I was happy to see that Edward kept his promised about Kyle. And we finished the day without any incidents.

* * *

Saturday finally arrived and we were going hunting. It was still early when I got to the Cullen's house. And everyone was ready for our trip. I felt a little nervous because I had always hunted alone. No one had taught me, I did it by instinct and it'd become a very private thing. I enjoyed the challenge of big preys. But after my little encounter with Richard's coven I hadn't ventured on going far by myself, and I really craved for big game.

They decided to take two cars. Emmett, Rosalie, Carlisle and Esme would ride on Emmett's and the rest of us on Jasper's truck.

Being an only child from divorced parents, I'd never had the road trip experience. This was my first time and it was fun. Alice wanted to play a game, but with their abilities it was close to impossible to find one that was fair, so we settled for listening to music.

We reached to our destination and from there we hiked for almost two hours. We got to a point where we separated into groups of two, and of course Edward was stuck with me.

"I hope you don't mind me tagging along." I said,

"Of course I don't." He said, shaking his head. "I'm glad you wanted to do this with us."

I smiled.

We walked in silence for a couple of minutes and then he said, "Tell me about your first year in College."

"What would you like to know?"

"Anything. It was your first experience after all."

"There isn't much to tell. It wasn't a good experience. My 'death' was too recent, I was always afraid of being recognized. Afraid of meeting someone I knew, who could've ended up attending the same place. It was pure paranoia, not pleasant at all."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He said.

"Don't be." I pleaded.

The smell of a prey hit us at the same time. "Bear." We both said in unison and then we laughed.

"Ladies first." He said gesturing the way, bowing his head.

"Not so fast, mister." I replied. "When I was human you would watch me eat, study my every movement. It made me self-conscious. I think it's pay back." I teased.

He smiled widely "As you wish."

He ran fast toward the bear as I sat comfortably on the ground ready to enjoy the show. But I was not prepared to see what followed; he began to circle his prey, then he slumped forward into a crouch and attacked it. His gracefulness and power took my breath away.

He looked so smooth and sexy. There was something erotic about his movements. I was staring open-mouthed at him. I watched as his biceps flexed when he handled the bear. His copper hair was tousled with the action, making me want to run my fingers through it. He was just perfect. A rush of electricity ran through my body. I had experienced this excitement before, so long ago, when Edward would kiss me, when he'd touch me. And now I was feeling the same thrill just by watching him hunt. I bit my lip trying to control my excitement.

His strong gaze on me interrupted my thoughts. And I quickly composed myself before my face gave me away.

"Wow. Good job." I said nervously.

His sexy grin didn't help the little self-control I had. "I think I'm going to look for my prey on the East Side." I blurted out and started running. I was glad that he didn't follow me. I took deep breaths until I composed myself. Luckily, I soon found a big bear and the hunt distracted me from my sexual fantasies.

As I was finishing my meal, Edward found me, and felt disappointed that he missed the show. "It's not fair. You didn't wait for me." He complained.

"Maybe next time." I said.

He smiled and then helped me get rid of the carcass.

We headed back to meet the rest of the family. Everyone was satisfied and ready to go back home.

"How was your hunt." Alice asked.

"Interesting." I said._ And sexy, exciting, stimulating, thrilling, sensual…_


	7. Bashful

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_Chapter 7:Bashful_

The weeks went by, and everything became a comfortable routine. During class, Edward had the brilliant idea of acting as if we were a couple in front of Kyle, so his crush on me could vanish. It worked. He no longer tried to ask me out, and our contact was strictly school-related. Besides, I didn't mind at all to pretend that Edward and I were together. It was my dream after all.

The Cullens and I would spend our free time at their house or mine doing a variety of activities. One stormy night, we played baseball. It was a lot a fun. And I was not the cheerleader anymore. My team lost and Emmett bragged for days. We couldn't hear the end of it until I beat him at Halo; that really put a damper on his gloating.

Alice and Rosalie kept dragging me on shopping trips. They had 'upgraded' my wardrobe completely . And since my closet was not big enough for the ridiculous amount of clothes they bought me, they took some of the outfits to their house, until we'd find a way to remodel and expand my space.

Carlisle and Jasper dedicated time teaching me new ways to improve my business. They suggested I invest on projects overseas but I was happy with my domestic ventures. I had no desire to expand my wealth. What I had was more than enough.

Esme and I shared the love for painting. Together we created some pretty good pieces. I enjoyed her company immensely, doing something we both were passionate about.

Edward and I had become really close. We would spend hours reading together. He'd play the piano for me and I would read poetry to him. We would talk almost about anything and laugh at silly stuff. At night we'd lie down on a blanket, outside of his house, and look at the stars. His knowledge on Astronomy was impressive. I always laid down closer than I needed to, listening to his voice, breathing his scent. It was a blissful torture.

When we were apart we would talk on the phone or chat on the Internet. But our physical contact was very limited; the accidental touch, the playful slap on the shoulder, the friendly hug, and that was just fine with me. I would take anything coming from him. But I had to admit that even the most innocent touch would send waves of pleasure through my body. It was getting harder and harder not to show my feelings, and that worried me. I didn't want to scare him away.

I'd spent six days a week with them. Sundays were the exception. Part of it was that I didn't want to overwhelm them with my presence and part was that I needed time to do the chores that had been neglected. There was laundry to be done, bills to be paid, a house to be cleaned, etc. The hardest part was that even for one day, I'd miss Edward tremendously, that I couldn't imagine what it'd be like, when we'd go separate ways. I refused to think about it. I would deal with it when it happened.

One Friday morning Edward and I were lying on the ground at their backyard, reading side-by-side. We were on our sixth book when Alice joined us. She folded herself onto the ground next to us.

"There's going to be a real storm tomorrow morning. We should play ball." She chirped.

"Do you want to play?" Edward asked me excitedly.

"Sure. But we already played baseball two weeks ago. Why don't we play football?" I proposed, wiggling my brows.

Alice was unsure. "I don't know. Football is very physical and you spend half of the game on the ground, and with the rain there is mud and…"

"Come on Alice! Are you afraid of getting a little mud on you?" I teased.

"She's right, Alice. We have never tried football. It might be fun!" Edward said.

She sighed. "Football it is." She bounded up and went to inform the others.

Once she was inside the house, Edward turned to me. "Football?"

"I happen to like football. What do you think I do on Sundays, especially now with the playoffs."

"Since when?"

"Albert was a Packers fan. He would watch the games every Sunday while I'd sit next to him and read a book. It was entertaining to see him screaming at the TV. And little by little it rubbed off on me until the two of us were screaming."

"I've been a baseball fan all my life, but football is sounding good. I might join you on Sundays and we could scream at the TV together." He said and my heart melted.

"I would love that."

* * *

Saturday morning arrived, and as my favorite psychic predicted, it was rainy and stormy. I grabbed my packer's jersey with the number four and the name Favre on it. He was Albert's favorite player of all time.

I arrived at the Cullens' and Emmett greeted me enthusiastly. "She even has a favorite player."

"You look so…" Edward paused, looking for the appropriate word. "Good."

"Thank you."

"Let's go." Carlisle ordered and we headed toward the clearing.

When we got there it was still raining heavily.

"I am not getting mud on my hair." Rosalie stated.

"Come on, Rose. I will wash your hair and brush it until it shines. Do it for me?" Emmett pleaded giving her his best sad puppy eyes.

"You'll owe me Emmett, but I know a better way you could make it up to me." She said as her index finger ran over his chest and stopped right under his belly bottom.

Emmett moaned and whispered something to her, but before I could hear it I ran as far away as possible.

"Did they scare you?" Edward teased.

I nodded.

I cleared my throat "Are you ready for some football?" I shouted enthusiastically. And the game began.

Since we couldn't get away with a game plan because of Edward and Alice's abilities, we decided to make it simple; just throw, catch and score. Edward, Emmett, Esme and Alice formed one team and Jasper, Carlisle, Rosalie and I the other. Esme tossed the coin and Carlisle called it. They won the toss.

Alice played quarterback, Emmett and Esme were protecting her and Edward being the fastest, was their receiver. They hiked the ball. Carlisle and Rosalie had a hard time getting through Emmett and Esme, giving Alice enough time to throw the ball so far, that only Edward could catch it. Jasper stayed closed to the end zone waiting to stop him from scoring, while I played corner back, running next to Edward trying to intercept the ball.

He was much faster than I was, but he had to slow down for the ball, and that's when I caught up with him. As soon as he was ready to catch the ball I jumped in front of him, using one of my trampoline moves, and catapulted myself toward the ball. I intercepted it and ran toward my end zone, leaving a stunned Edward behind. I was almost there when I felt Edward's body crashing with mine, sending us with force toward the ground. We rolled on the mud until we came to a stop, a few yards from my end zone.

He stayed on top of me for a few seconds and whispered with a husky voice, "You could intercept my play but I will not allow you to score on me." He then gave me a quick peck on the tip of my nose and got up, leaving me with a tingling sensation and weak legs._ Oh God, this is going to be better than I thought._

The game continued and the score was tied. We rotated positions after every play. The thunderstorm was ceasing and we decided to have one last play.

Edward was playing quarterback and Rosalie and I were trying to stop him, but Emmett and Alice were on our way. They hiked the ball and while Rosalie took care of Emmett 'Rosalie's style' I had to go through a very ferocious little pixy to get to the quarterback. Amazingly I did it, and before Edward was able to throw the ball I sacked him.

Lying on top of him I repeated his words " I will not allow you to score on me." And returned the quick peck on the tip of his nose. His eyes met mine and they were bright with excitement. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist, pressing me even tighter against him. I shivered with pleasure and couldn't have a coherent thought. His face was only inches from mine. He looked at my mouth and closed the distance, grazing his lips against mine. I thought I was going to faint.

"Get a room!" Emmett shouted, a huge grin on his face.

I nervously jumped up on my feet, realizing that we were about to kiss in front of his family. I felt a mix of embarrassment and disappointment; because there was nothing I wanted more, than to kiss him again, but not in front of everyone.

I couldn't look at them, so I fixed my eyes on the ground.

"You look like the dwarf." Emmett teased.

"You are not making any sense, Emmett." Rosalie said.

"Really. She looks like the dwarf from the cartoon movie." Emmett insisted.

"Drop it, Emmett." Edward ordered, trying to spare me from another embarrassment.

Emmett's comment gave me an idea to change the subject. "Please, tell me that you are not talking about Bashful from Snow White?"

"That's the one!"

"And here I thought that my nickname was forever gone!" I said, throwing my hands up in the air.

"Nickname?" Emmett asked, side-tracked.

"Yeah. Albert used to call me Bashful because even though I didn't blush, all my facial expressions were the equivalent of a blush. I was the female version of Bashful."

"He's right!" He said and started singing,

"HEIGH HO…

HEIGH HOOOOOOO.

HEIGH HO, HEIGH HO,

IT'S HOME FROM WORK WE GO. (Whistle)."

Everyone started laughing, including Edward. And I was just glad we had moved from an embarrassing yet pleasurable moment to an embarrassing yet funny one. And under Emmett's vocal expertise we marched back home.

"HEIGH HO, HEIGH HO,

IT'S HOME FROM WORK WE GO. (Whistle)."

* * *

_**A/N: I'm sorry if the whole football game's explanation didn't make any sense. I'm a big football fan and couldn't resist. In my mind, it was perfectly clear. :)**_


	8. Chapter 8

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_Chapter 8: Hidden Paradise_

We arrived at the Cullen's house all covered on mud. "I'm going home to take a shower and change." I said.

"Nonsense." Alice said. "You could take a shower in here, and wear one of the cute outfits we are holding for you."

I had forgotten that some of my newly acquired clothes were in her possession. I sighed. "Okay."

"Go to the guestroom on the second floor." She ordered. "I'll take your clothes to you."

I took off my mud-covered shoes, and went upstairs to the guestroom, walking straight to the bathroom. I shut the door and I looked at my reflection, and the face in the mirror was practically a stranger. There were sparks on my topaz eyes, and they were brighter than usual. I smiled at the new me, and took off my dirty clothes, leaving them in a neat pile on the floor and proceeded to take a shower.

The shower was warm and long. My thoughts drifted to the early events; playing on my mind over and over.He'd almost kissed me. What did it mean? Was he having a change of heart? Could it be possible that he loved me the same way I love him?

I began to feel cautiously optimistic. Perhaps we could start all over again_. Maybe he still loves me or maybe it's just my wishful thinking. _ I had dangerously begun to hope, without giving myself permission to do so. It was confusing. Perception didn't work when your feelings were attached to your desires.

I pushed my thoughts aside and finished my shower. I wrapped myself on a towel and walked out of the bathroom. And found on the bed a beautiful cream-colored summer dress and next to it, a white low-rise floral lace panties and its matching bra. The dress was sleeveless and had a ruched v-necklin, and a tiered skirt with a high waist. _At least it's not strapless._

I looked at the lacy panties and shook my head. _Mental note: Never bet against Alice. _I thought about going commando just to annoy her, but decided against it. So I proceeded to get dressed. I went back to the bathroom and brushed through my hair deciding on a ponytail.

As I was coming out of the bathroom holding my dirty clothes, Alice came in the bedroom with a pair of white sandals. She handed them to me and took my mud-covered clothes.

"Couldn't you choose some jeans and a T-shirt?" I asked.

"Don't fret!" She said appraising the dress. "Pretty, don't you think?

"I don't remember getting this dress?

"You weren't there when I bought it for you."

"How did you manage to get a summer dress in the middle of winter?"

"Internet."

"Alice, you need help with your shopping obsession. How many pairs of shoes do you own?"

"How many books _do you_ _have_?" She challenged.

"Touché." I said, smiling widely.

We walked downstairs and Carlisle and Edward were chatting in the living room. Edward lifted his head and fixed his eyes on me, making me self-conscious. I walked toward the couch and sat next to him. He was wearing a white button down shirt, and the top two buttons were open, allowing me to peak at his muscular chest, and the sleeves had been rolled up to his mid forearms. A pair of blue jeans completed the beautiful picture.

He suddenly got up, turning to me. "You look lovely." He said, taking my hand. "Come with me."

I complied and we exited the house holding hands, and once more, I started hoping. His hand entwined with mine felt so right as we walked toward the forest, in silence.

The hike was becoming surprisingly long. I felt a thrill of excitement, which turned into curiosity. "Where are we going?" I asked.

"We're almost there." He smiled.

A few minutes later and to my surprise, we suddenly stopped close to the edge of a cliff. We were still holding hands. I didn't understand why he felt happy to share this place with me. There was nothing remarkable about it. But I didn't want to hurt his feelings "It's nice."

He smirked. " Look down there." He said, pointing at the edge of the cliff.

He let go of my hand and I stepped out to the edge. At the bottom of the cliff, there was a breathtaking view; a small pool of water, like a small lake, perfectly round and surrounded by a variety of colorful wild flowers and green vegetation. It was beautiful.

I stood there in silence admiring the scenery. Edward stayed a few steps behind me.

Being at the edge of the cliff brought back memories of cliff diving with Jacob. I couldn't contain myself and without thinking I leaned forward, crouching to get more spring and flung myself off the cliff.

As I dropped through the open air I heard Edward yelling "BELLAAAAA!

I sliced through the surface of the water and plunged deeper. After a few seconds a resurfaced laughing.

I looked up to see a very concerned Edward, staring at me wide-eyed, in disbelief.

"Come on Edward! Why don't you join me?"

His concerned look broke into a huge grin. "Show off." He murmured, and he gracefully jumped off and joined me in the water.

"Exhilarating, isn't it?" I said once he was floating next to me.

His beautiful laugh gave me the answer. "Why did you jump?" He asked.

"I did it on impulse." I said.

"Since when do you tend to act without reflection?"

"Don't pretend you didn't like it. The more you do it the more thrilling it becomes."

"From you statement I interpret that this is not the first time you jump off a cliff." He said with a wary expression.

"You're right. This is not my first time."

"I'm sure when it happened, you were already a vampire, Right?"

"Nope. It happened in La Push. We used to cliff dive as a recreation."

His eyes narrowed, anger clearly on his face, but said nothing.

"Every time I cliff dived, Jacob was with me so there was not danger at all." I assured him, omitting the time when I jumped by myself and almost drown. If it weren't for Jake, who rescued me, I'd be dead.

He read my face, and acknowledged my editing, shaking his head. "Plunging into an ocean from a high elevation is reckless and dangerous for any human. Jacob should've known that."

"Well, I am here. Aren't I? Which means that nothing happened to me."

We were floating in the middle of the lake with only our heads above the water scowling at each other in silence. He was the first to speak. "How do you like this place?"

"It's breathtaking." I said, glad that we'd moved to a different topic.

"When you plunged into the water, it took you a few seconds to resurface. What were you doing?"

"I was trying to see what was at the bottom of the lake."

"Did you find anything interesting?"

"No. It's too dark and too deep."

"You sound disappointed." He said.

"Have you ever seen a coral reef?" I asked.

"Only on TV. Have you?" He asked, curiosity on his tone.

"Eight years ago I went to Florida to check on Renee." I saw him frowning and knew what he was thinking.

"Of course I didn't let her see me. To her, I am dead. It was very depressing to be near my mother and not being able to hug her. But at least I was happy to see that she was still very much in love with Phil."

"The three days I was there, I only went out at night, like a real vampire. You know, sunny Florida. Anyway, on the last night, I was saddened by the fact that I had to leave without touching her, kissing her. I really missed her. I still do. So, I went walking on the beach, and on a wild impulse and also as an attempt to clear my head, I decided to explore the Ocean."

"About six miles seaward of the Florida Keys, I found the Coral Reef. Night diving on the Reef is spectacular. The white light shinning from the full moon lighted the natural color of the Reef. The blue, green, red and yellow coral, combined with the variety of marine organism was absolutely breathtaking." I concluded.

"Wow, you sound like a marine biologist. Did you take pictures?"

"I told you. I did not plan to do it. It was something spontaneous."

"I wish I were there with you." He said, making me melt.

"Can I show you something?" I asked with sudden excitement.

"Show me what?"

"I'll show you a painting I did, of the Coral Reef."

"I'd love to see it!" His voice was high, excited.

"Race you to the shore!" I said pushing him under water to get a head start.

"Cheater!" He yelled as I was swimming toward the shore.

I made it out of the water and turned around celebrating my little victory, only to see a stunned Edward a few yards from me, staring at my body. Right there I realized that my very thin, cotton and wet dress, was clinging to my body, transparent and adhesive, making my tiny and sexy lace panties and bra very much visible. _Alice, I'm going to kill you._

Always the gentleman, Edward immediately looked up, his eyes locking on mine. A look of concern and astonishment was expressed on his beautiful face.

I froze where I stood, mortified, and not knowing what to do. He closed his eyes, inhaling deeply, and then turned around, facing the opposite direction. "Bella, I am really sorry." He said, apologizing? His voice was strained and labored. " I should've turned around sooner. It was never my intention to…"

"Edward, please stop." I interrupted him. "This is the most embarrassing moment of my life. And I rather not to talk about it, ever again."

"But I should have looked away. Please forgive my weakness." He pleaded.

I needed to stop him from feeling guilty, he was a man after all. And it was _my_ _brilliant_ idea to jump in the lake without thinking. "Don't worry about it. It's not your fault." I murmured.

We stood in silence for a moment. I couldn't be walking around like a model from Victoria Secret on a runway. _Think, think, _My mind was completely blank. "The problem is what to do now. It's not sunny. My dress will never dry." I said, completely defeated.

I was not prepared for what happened next. Edward started to unbutton his shirt, sliding it off his shoulders. He then grabbed it, making a ball with it and threw it over to me, leaving his upper body exposed. He did all of this without turning around.

I caught the makeshift ball and quickly covered up my almost naked body.

I couldn't keep my eyes off of Edward's back. His shoulders were wide and looked more muscular than I'd imagined. I had never seen him like this before.

"Can I turn around now?" He asked, interrupting my ogling.

"I think so." I answered nervously.

He slowly turned around and I felt like fainting. I was looking at the most beautiful creature ever to walk this earth. His chest was sculpted and muscular, with well-defined abs; I just wanted to run my hands over it.

He started walking slowly, toward me, water drops glistening on the bronze of his hair. My eyes followed the trail of pear shaped droplets, running down from his hair, all the way down to his chest, and abs, and disappearing at the edge of the waistband of his pants. I blinked twice, forcing myself to stop my staring, and reluctantly brought my eyes up to his face. He was fighting a smile, his lips twitching a little. I had definitely been caught. "I guess we're even now." He said with a husky voice.

I couldn't reply, afraid that my voice would crack. So I just look down, having another Bashful moment.

* * *

We started climbing up, leaving the little paradise behind. We walked side by side, too embarrassed to hold hands. I tried to behave, but failed miserably; unable to stop myself, I occasionally threw a few glances at him. I was glad that he didn't catch me. He was so beautiful. The love of my life was half-naked, and within my reach. I wanted to caress his chest and lick each one of his well-defined abs. I wanted to run my hands through that messy hair, and kiss him senseless.

I closed my eyes and swallowed hard. And took a big breath, trying to gain some composure.

"Tell me what you're thinking?" He asked.

"I was thinking that Alice is going to kill me when she finds out that I ruined this dress." I lied.

He laughed, "She doesn't need to know."

"Would you keep the secret?" I asked, glad that he couldn't read my mind.

"My lips are sealed."

I laughed at his attempt to make me feel protected against his sister. But we both knew there was no way, keeping a secret from her.

We soon got home and I immediately changed into comfortable clothes, and threw his shirt in the dryer. I quickly ran back downstairs bringing him a woolen throw so he could cover his exposed torso. "Your shirt will be ready in a few minutes."

"Thank you." He smiled, covering his magnificent body with the piece of fabric.

I sighed, already missing the glorious sight. "So, do you want to see the painting?" I asked.

"Of course."

I started heading upstairs to my attic/studio when I felt Edward walking behind me. I stopped, turned around and asked him, "Where do you think you're going?"

He looked confused, "To see your painting?"

"No, no, no, no, no. I'll go get the painting, you wait downstairs." I ordered.

"But why? It's easier if we go to your studio and see the painting there. You won't have to bother bringing it to me." He said calmly, but curiosity was pouring all over him.

"Good try, but no thank you." I said.

"What are you hiding in the attic?"

"Nothing terrible." I assured him. "Now, be a good boy and wait for me downstairs."

He narrowed his eyes, looked at me warily but complied, descending very slowly.

As soon as I was sure he'd stayed downstairs I ran to my studio, grabbed the painting and joined him downstairs. _Thank God for vampire speed!_

I walked toward the dinning room, and moved some blueprints I'd been working on, out of the way. And laid the canvas on the table. He complemented me on the colorful portrait. "It's amazing the variety of colors you used in one master piece."

I rolled my eyes at the 'master piece' comment, "Coral Reef are the rain forest of the sea. The colonies of stony corals have different shapes and colors, plus the marine organisms do not share the same hue. It was very hard to find the right shade for each creature. I think this is the most difficult piece I've ever done." I said.

"Next time you go scuba diving again. Please take me with you?" He said.

"It'll be nice to share all that beauty with someone special." I said before stopping myself. _Great Bella! Scare him away._

He smiled at me.

"We could plan a trip with all of us." I said, trying to fix my slip.

"Sure." He said. But his face suddenly became sadden by my comment. _But which comment?_

He looked at the blueprints I had moved aside. "What kind of architectural project are you working on?"

"I'm working on a Resort."

"A Resort? Where?"

I hesitated. "In Washington."

"What part of Washington?" He asked warily.

"La Push." I whispered.

"They'll never let you." He said. His voice was hard.

"They don't need to know. It'll be a project from an anonymous investor who wants to promote the beauty that this mystical place has to offer." I argued.

"They'll find out. They are very protective of their land. No one but them will ever invest in their territory."

"No one but them will have rights over their land. This anonymous investor will donate the Resort and only the Quileutes will benefit from it"

"And what makes you think that they want tourists roaming their land. They're too dangerous to be interacting with humans." He said.

His double standard angered me. I wanted to say that _we _were the ones dangerous to humans, not them. But I knew that it was his prejudice talking. "They are not dangerous to humans. Their only enemy is _our kind_." I spluttered the last words at him.

He flinched at my aggressive tone. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just want you to understand that it's not as easy as you want it to believe." He pleaded.

"Look, I know it's not going to be easy but I would really like to try to help them, after all the things they did for me."

He didn't agree with me, but understood. And then smiled at me. "Tell me the details."

I took the blueprints and spread them on the table. "It'll be a small Resort that will accommodate no more than forty people at once. They won't disturb the natives. The exterior of the little cabins will not clash with the surroundings. It'll offer different activities like surfing and scuba diving. The tide pools will be a perfect attraction for kids. It's a family oriented project and it won't affect the Quileutes life style." I said.

He closed the space between us and reached for my hands, raising them to brush his cheek with the back of them. "I hope that everything goes as you've planned it. I only wish for your happiness."

"Thank you." I said, my stomach full of butterflies.

* * *

**A/N: I left a link on my profile of Bella's summer dress. Just imagine it wet and transparent :)**


	9. Plans

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_Chapter 9: Plans_

A few days after the lake incident, I started analyzing my situation with Edward.

We were practically a couple, minus the kissing, the touching and sadly the sex. I enjoyed his company and I was sure that he enjoyed mine. It had become very difficult for me to be close to him and not been able to touch him or kiss him. I didn't know how much longer I was going to be able to hide my feelings.

I was irrevocably in love with Edward and I would love him for all of eternity.

But what about Edward? The way he looked at me sometimes, was the same way he did when he loved me, right before my disastrous eighteenth birthday. But why didn't he say anything? It seemed liked he had no intention to move forward with our relationship. It was like he wanted to stay friends forever. But why?

Maybe he needed time. Maybe he was unsure. Or maybe he was afraid that the reasons he had when he once left me would come back. I remembered perfectly when he told me he didn't want me.

But things seemed to be different. I could feel it; he sort of loved me, but I also knew that I was still not good enough for him.

I could only pray that one-day we could be together, and in love as we once were. I would patiently wait for that day. In the meantime, I could just be his friend. _Arg, who am I kidding, I can't just be his friend. This is so frustrating!_

The noise on my driveway brought me back from my reverie. I flew to the door and opened it, and there he was, beautiful as always.

He reached for my hands and raised them up to his face,kissing them. "How are you today?"

"Better. Now that you're here." I answered not being able to keep my feelings to myself.

"Shall we?" He asked, towing me toward the dinning room table.

Edward had volunteered to help me with the last details of my Quileute project. He was the best architect I've ever met. He was good at everything_. Mmmm, I wonder…._

After an hour, we finished the details on my project and he put his pencil down. "I think we're done here."

"Thank you so much. I'll send it to my lawyers as soon as possible."

He took my face between his two hands, holding it tightly while his eyes looked into mine. "Please promise me that you won't be disappointed if this project doesn't happen the way you've intended."

"I promised." I said. My head was swimming on the essence of his breath.

The ringing of my phone interrupted our little talk.

"I need to get that." I said, releasing my face from his touch and digging through my purse looking for my phone.

"Hello?"

"_Hello Bella, this is Tom. How are you?"_

"I am doing well. Thank you for returning my call." I glanced at Edward and his head tilt reflexively in my direction.

"_I am always glad to hear you voice. What can I do for you?"_

"It's about the Quileute project. It's ready!" I exclaimed unable to contain my excitement.

He hesitated a little. _"Are you sure Bella? I went over the preliminary plans you sent me and it's not profitable for you."_

"Thank you for your concern, Tom, but this is not about money."

"_I understand. Send me all the paperwork and Chris will personally take care of it."_

"Oh. I thought you would be taking care of it." I said, feeling disappointed. "This is very dear to me, you know." I explained.

"_Don't worry. My son is very capable and prepared. I taught him everything there is to know. Your account can't be in better hands. Believe me."_ He pleaded.

"I believe you. It's just that … Bella trusted you so blindly. Having someone else handling everything she built is not easy." I looked at a confused Edward and smiled.

"_Again, you have nothing to worry about, trust me. Your mother would agree with me on this one"_

I had no other option but to agree. "Okay. I'll trust you, and your son."

"_Thank you, Bella. You will not regret it."_ He said. _"And before I forget, I needed to inform you that since I'm transferring all the accounts over to Chris, there are some issues we need to resolve. It's nothing too serious but we'll need your presence to go over signatures and legal papers."_ He explained.

"Is it really necessary?" I asked, knowing what his answer would be.

"_I'm afraid so. I'm sorry."_ He apologized.

"I understand. When do you need me?"

"_It'll be nice if you could come in two weeks, before my retirement."_

"I'll be there."

"_I'm happy that I will finally meet you. You sound so much like your mother. I've always wondered if you look as beautiful." _

"I've been told that I do look like Bella." I said, rolling my eyes when Edward tried to suppress a laugh.

"_It's very peculiar how you always refer to her by her first name."_

"That's how she wanted it. She was always a little strange." I said and this time Edward couldn't contain his laugh.

"_She was unique. It's really a shame that she died so young."_ He sounded really sincere.

"That is very true."

"_I'll see you in two weeks. And don't worry; your project will be in good hands. Good bye."_

"Bye."

I hung up my phone and immediately started dwelling on my trip to New York. I looked at Edward and he lifted an eyebrow. "Who was that?"

"That was Tom Williams, my lawyer."

"What was that about _your mother?"_ He asked, a smile on his lips.

"Well, he thinks I'm Bella Swan's daughter. Two years ago I found out he was going to retire and figured that they'd need to see me for the account transferring. In preparation for this event I had to _kill _Bella Swan and her daughter Bella Marie Swan inherited everything." I explained.

"You can't create a nineteen year old daughter in two years."

"But I didn't. I met Tom through Albert twenty-five years ago. I became his client and little by little my diminutive account became very prosperous. He is very efficient representing me on every business-related affair. And more importantly, he is very discreet."

"Three years after becoming his client, Albert thought of a way to keep my human charade; 'the birth of my daughter', who in the future would take care of my business."

"Bella Marie Swan was born twenty years ago. We even sent the birth announcements with picture included." I said proudly.

"You are devilish." He teased.

"Thank you."

"What are you going to do when he sees you again? How are you going to explain that one?" He asked.

"I've been told that I look just like Bella Swan. Besides, last time he saw me it was twenty-five years ago. It won't be a problem."

"You _do_ look like Bella." He played along.

"I guess I should make up another daughter pretty soon, so she could take over the business in thirty years." I joked.

"I could be the father!" He offered jokingly but immediately realized the implications of his statement, "For your human charade… I didn't mean… It's not like…" He could not complete his sentence.

He looked adorable when he was embarrassed. But I decided to let him off the hook. "You'll be the first one to call if I need help."

He relaxed and gave me a crooked smile, kissing the tip of my nose, and turned around and walked toward the dinning room, collecting all the papers that were spread all over the table.

I needed a few seconds to gain composure after that innocent kiss that sent shivers down my spine. I was glad that he had turned around before noticing my reaction.

"When are you mailing this?" He asked.

"Today. I want them to start working on it immediately. I hope that by the time I arrive at New York they already have some good news for me."

"I wanted to ask you something about your trip." He said hesitantly.

"Yes?" I asked warily.

"Can we go with you? That is, if you don't mind." He asked with pleading eyes.

"I would love to if you come with me. I'll call Alice and give her the news." I said as I grabbed my phone.

"Don't bother, she already knows. She's probably planning the whole weekend as we speak."

"_Shopping_!" I whispered, shuddering at the thought.

"Among other things, but don't worry, New York is one of those places where there are millions of things to do during the night." He said, a smile hovering on his lips.

"You're right. We could have some fun after all." I said, thinking that anything that includes Edward it's all right with me.

My trip to New York would be fine after all.

* * *

_**A/N: Short chapter, I know. But next, they're going to New York!**_

* * *


	10. New York, New York

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

* * *

_Chapter 10: New York, New York_

The weeks prior to our New York trip went by quickly. Thursday, the day before my meeting, was upon us and Alice was driving me crazy with all the planning of what was known as 'our first mini vacation'.

"Do you think you'll be done with your meeting by noon?" She asked without lifting her eyes from a day planner where she'd been taking notes for the last week.

"For the hundredth time, I do not know how long my meeting will be." I stated. "_You_ should know. Can't you see the future?" I asked, getting a little irritated by her besetment.

She lifted her eyes from the planner just to roll them at me. "There are decisions taking place during that meeting that have not been made yet." She explained.

"Then, I'll be done when I'm done." I said.

"Well, so far our itinerary is as followed: We'll arrive at New York at five in the morning. We'll check in the hotel at five-thirty and I'll get you ready for your meeting."

She lifted her right index finger when I was about to protest at the 'get you ready' part. And ignoring my attempt at saying something she continued, "You'll go to your meeting, that is scheduled at eight. And after your meeting is over, we'll spend the rest of the afternoon _shopping_." Her eyes sparkled at the words.

She paused for a moment probably thinking the names of the exclusive stores we would visit and then continued; " At night we'll visit the Statue of Liberty. On Saturday we'll go to the American Museum of Natural History. Have you ever been there?" She asked.

"Nope. The only time that I've been in New York was on a business trip, twenty-five years ago and I only saw the airport, the Williams & Co. offices, and the hotel room where I stayed." I said.

"Why?" She asked, genuinely intrigued.

"The outside world held no interest for me." I stated.

She put down her planner for the first time since she arrived at my house and hugged me. "I'm sorry you were alone for so long."

I regretted letting her know how pathetic my life was. "Don't worry about it." I pleaded, not wanting to ruin her fun anymore.

She smiled timidly and grabbed her planner back. " The museum's architecture alone makes it stand out; it's huge, but I'm not going to ruin it for you, you'll see it when we get there."

I smiled widely. Her enthusiasm was contagious. And the knowledge that everyone was going made me happy. I felt like I was part of the family even if it was only for a short time.

* * *

Friday came and after checking in the hotel, Alice 'got me ready' for my meeting. She chose a black skirt and a blue turtleneck. The look was formal enough, both pieces outlining my body discretely. I was pleased. "Thank you, Alice."

She smiled. "Don't mention it."

"I will see you later." I said as I walked toward the door. I opened it and there he was, looking as handsome as always.

"Hey!" I greeted him.

"You look beautiful."

"You know, Alice." I said, trying to play down the pleasure I felt every time he'd give me a compliment.

He smiled. "Do you mind if we escort you to your meeting? Carlisle and Jasper are thinking on investing on Real Estate and this will be a good opportunity to meet with a trustful company. But we don't want to intrude. If you don't feel comfortable just let us…"

I interrupted him, "It's okay Edward, I don't mind at all."

He gave me one of those breathtaking smiles. "Well, in that case, shall we go?"

"Sure." I answered.

We walked toward the elevators. He placed his hand on my lower back and guided me toward the lobby; from there, he called Carlisle and Jasper and they met us a few minutes after. Williams & Co had sent a driver for me and we headed to my meeting.

During the ride we had a business-related conversation about a possible partnership. Most of the talk was among Carlisle, Jasper and I. Edward was quiet, looking at me intensely, which of course made me self-conscious.

We arrived at our destination and walked to an elegant desk in the middle of the lobby, where a red haired girl was sitting, looking over some documents. "Hi, my name is Bella Marie Swan. I have an appointment with Tom Williams."

"Ms. Swan, Welcome! Mr. Williams is expecting you." She greeted me. And she picked the phone up, "Mr. Williams, Ms. Swan has arrived."

"_Let her in." _ He answered over the intercom.

She stood up and walked around the desk. Her eyes drifted over to my companions. Her face became pale and her heart accelerated. I was sure she had never seen such beautiful men standing so close to her. "Please… follow me." She stammered.

She guided us toward the office, and opened the door, and let us in. Inside, Tom and a young man, who I assumed was Chris, were waiting for me.

"Bella, dear. Welcome!" Tom greeted me while opening his arms to embrace me. "It's amazing, You look just like your mother!

"It's nice to finally meet you in person." I said. "I'd like you to meet some really good friends of mine." I added while gesturing toward my _family_. "Carlisle, Jasper and Edward Cullen."

"It's nice to meet you. Any friends of Bella are friends of mine." Tom said.

"The pleasure is ours." Carlisle answered.

After shaking hands Tom turned to me with a big smile and then stood next to the very tall young man, probably in his late twenties, blond hair, blue eyes and a very contagious smile. "This is my son, Chris." He introduced him with so much pride that it was rather sweet.

Chris walked toward me and grabbed my hand with both of his, pressing them gently. "It's such a pleasure to finally meet you, I am honored to work with you." He said. And I was surprised that he didn't recoil from my cold touch.

He smiled so widely that it was impossible not to return his greeting. I smiled back. "It's nice to meet you, Chris. I'm looking forward to work with you."

He held my hand a little longer than necessary, but a quiet growl made him turn toward the Cullens, releasing it immediately._ I can't believe Edward just growled at Chris!_

Chris walked toward the Cullens and shook hands with them. I gave Edward a 'What's wrong with you!' look. He was tensed and looked really angry but kept quiet.

When Tom finished praising my late mother, we proceeded to talk business. Chris led the meeting, showing knowledge, intelligence and self-confidence. Tom was right, I had nothing to worry about.

After four long hours of filling out documents, signatures and having Real Estate discussions that included the Cullens, we were almost done. And subsequent to the growling incident, Edward had not said a word. He just stayed on his seat throwing death glares at Chris, that I was sure, he perceived.

Edward's reaction took me aback. I'm sure his behavior was driven by thoughts coming from Chris' human mind. But why the over protectiveness if he only wanted to be friends. Or was it jealousy?

Chris misinterpreted my tension, "We are almost done." He whispered while briefly touching my hands.

Of course, Edward didn't like that either. His hands were clenched tight on his chair's armrests, his knuckles straining in an effort not to snap them into pieces. I noticed Jasper placing his hand on Edward's shoulder and a wave of calmness followed his gesture. It was getting ridiculous.

Chris got my attention back by placing a document in front of me. "This is the last signature and we are done." He smiled, oblivious of the situation.

I signed the last paper, glad that it was finally over.

"Now, I need to talk to you about your very 'special project'." Chris said not being sure if I wanted the Cullens to know about my secretive Quiluete plans.

It changed my mood instantly. "Yes!" I exclaimed. "Go ahead." I nodded assuring him that it was okay to discuss it in front of them.

"I went to Washington with the proposal personally, and met with the head of the council. I explained to him all the details meticulously. He listened with evident interest, but became skeptical once I told him that their community was the only one to profit from it. He asked about the anonymous investor, but when I refused to give him any information about you, he declined the proposal."

My enthusiasm crumbled to pieces. I had so much hope on this project that it hurt me more than I expected. I felt Edward knelt next to me, rubbing my arm.

From the expression on my face, Chris understood how important this was to me. "Maybe if I could tell them about you, they'll reconsider."

I knew that would not work either. Sam would never make deals with a vampire.

"He really seemed interested about you." Chris said, trying to find a solution.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Well, He asked about your age, gender, physical appearance. It was like if he had realized who you were and was trying to confirm his suspicions. When I refused to answer his inquiry, he simply said, '_Tell her to come and talk to me'._ And I never told him the investor was a female. I'm almost sure that he knows who you are." Chris stated.

Once he quoted those words, I knew whom he was talking about. But how? Chris said he met with the head of the council. Sam was the Alpha. He was the leader. Could it be possible?

"What is his name?" I asked, already knowing the answer.

"His name is Jacob Black." He said, as wave of emotions ran through me.

_Jacob knows. He wants to see me! _

Chris continued, "I could set up a meeting with him. You don't have to go alone, I could go with you…"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Edward cut him off in mid-sentence. He looked truly frightening.

"Excuse me?" Chris challenged him not feeling intimidated.

Edward ignored him and turned to me, "You can't possible be thinking about meeting him." His eyes were full of concern.

"It's Jacob!" I told him.

"Please Bella. You can't ignore the risks." He pleaded, forgetting that Chris was right in front of us.

"I'm sorry Bella. Am I missing some information?" Chris asked.

"No. Not at all." I said nervously.

I needed to come up with something quickly. "My mother was a very close friends of the Quiluetes. She is the reason I am doing all this. The problem is that I am not my mother, and they don't trust me. And as you could see, Edward _does not trust them_." I explained while glaring at Edward.

"Well, it is your decision. Just tell me when and where you want to meet him and I'll set it up for you." Chris offered.

Edward glared at Chris viciously and was about to say something, but I spoke before he even said a word. "Tell him to meet me in two weeks in Seattle."

"Bella, Please." Edward pleaded.

"It's okay Edward. Everything will be fine." I assured him. We looked at each other for a few seconds, in silence.

"I'll give you a call with the details during the week." Chris said, forcing me to look away from Edward.

"Thank you Chris, I appreciate it."

Carlisle and Jasper moved closer to Edward and then we said goodbye to the Williams.

As we were getting ready to go Chris said, "Tomorrow night we are having a farewell party for my dad. It will be an honor if you could join us." He said and then turned to looked at Carlisle. "All of you." He added.

"Thank you for the invitation, but it's Bella's decision." Carlisle said.

Chris looked at me with pleading eyes. "I would be a great opportunity to meet with future investors, and get to know the ones we already work with."

"And you'll be saying goodbye to your mother's old friend." Tom added.

I couldn't say no to Tom. He had been good to me. A true friend.

I smiled at him. "We'll be there."

"Perfect!" Chris said. "I'll tell my secretary to send the invitations to your hotel today. How many members are in your family? He asked Carlisle.

"Eight." Edward answered. His voice was hard.

"And of course, I'll send yours as well." Chris said, smiling at me.

"There's not need for that. She is part of the eight members of my family." Edward clarified.

Chris did not look at Edward. "It doesn't matter, really. _You don't need an invitation_." He whispered. "And please, save a dance for me." He added.

Edward stiffened, and a low hiss escaped his lips.

"We'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for everything." I said and tried to hurry out, afraid that Edward would lose his self-control.

Once we were outside. Carlisle and Jasper excused themselves saying that they wanted to walk back to the hotel. It was a cloudy day in the middle of winter. Before they left I saw Edward nodding gently at something Carlisle was telling him through thoughts.

We got in the car and rode back to the hotel in silence. His lips were thinned into a knifelike line describing his mood.

We got to the hotel and he walked me to my room without saying a word. I open the door and he finally spoke, "Can we talk?"

"Sure." I said, not really being in the mood to argue.

He followed me in and I closed the door after him. He sat on the loveseat and patted the space next to him asking me to sit down. I complied.

"Bella, is there anything I could say or do to convince you not to go across the country to meet a werewolf?" He asked.

I shook my head "No."

"You don't seem to understand how dangerous, volatile and unstable they are. He could hurt you. Kill you."

"Jacob would never hurt me."

"Please, Bella. _Believe_ me. Werewolves are dangerous." His voice turned pleading.

"I appreciate your concern about my safety but it's unnecessary. They're truly not dangerous at all. I used to spend all day with the whole lot of them, and here I am."

"You are not the human friend they once protected, anymore. Now, you are their enemy."

I cringed at his statement. "I would never be their enemy."

"You don't have a choice. That's how life is."

"It doesn't matter. I am going."

"Aw! Why do you have to be so stubborn?" He murmured.

He pulled away standing up, and put a hand to his temple, massaging it as if his head were aching. "Bella," he whispered. "Please, don't go."

"I'm sorry, Edward. Jacob is family. I _want_ to see him."

He stared at me silently when a soft knock interrupted us. I walked to the door and opened it to find Alice with an apologetic smile.

"Come in." I invited her in. She danced her way in and sat on the floor facing Edward.

"Alice, maybe you could make Bella understand the risks she's taking by meeting with a werewolf." Edward pleaded.

She looked at Edward and then she turned to me. "I do agree with Edward; werewolves are dangerous. But I also think that Bella is an adult and she could do whatever she pleases."

He looked at her, eyes wide in disbelief. "Are you out of your mind! Would you be okay if Jasper did something dangerous just because he's an adult or because he desires to do it?" He argued.

"You can't compare the two scenarios. Jasper is my husband I have the right to stop him if he is doing something risky, or he could stop me. But on the other hand, I can't stop _my friend _from doing something dumb. I could try to convince her but I cannot stop her. It's her life and only hers. Only _a mate_ has the right to stop the other because their lives belong to each other." She concluded, giving Edward a look that indicated her words had some hidden meaning.

"You are such a hypocrite." Edward said to his sister and stalked out of the room, snarling under his breath.

I was still staring after Edward. "What was that about?" I asked Alice.

"Edward throwing a tantrum. Are you ready to go shopping?"

"I don't really want to go." I whined.

"We have to buy dresses for tomorrow's event and for Sunday." She said.

"What's happening on Sunday?"

"We are going to see a Broadway show, remember?

She grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the door, "Let's go shopping."

I grabbed my key on the way out and left with her. In the hotel's lobby Esme and Rosalie were waiting for us. It was shopping time. _Great! _


	11. Fears

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

* * *

_Chapter 11: Fears_

The places the Cullen women chose for their shopping was not surprising at all. We visited exclusive stores where Alice, Esme and Rosalie selected beautiful designer gowns. Alice kept handing me dress after dress. But my mind was somewhere else; I was worry about Edward. He was really upset about my decision to meet with Jacob. He didn't understand how important it was for me. And the reason for that was unknowingness.

He didn't know details of my relationship with Jacob other than he saved me from Laurent, Victoria and the vampire that changed me. I had decided to keep some information from him to avoid making him feel guilty for the events that followed his departure. None of them were his fault. But he didn't feel that way.

I would have to explain everything to him so he could understand what Jacob meant to me.

Alice brought me back from my reverie. "What about this one?" She said. She was holding a black pleaded bodice gown with spaghetti straps and a high neckline. It had a ribbon belt with a crystal buckle and a long gathered skirt.

"It's perfect!" I said, admiring the elegant dress.

"I found this Armani." Rosalie approached us holding another black dress. It was long and had a satin-tied waist. The V-neckline was a little low but not too much.

"I'll use that one for Sunday." I said not wanting to choose between the two dresses.

"Now, we are all set." Esme said.

"No. _Now_,_ the shoes_." Alice chirped.

After fighting for the right to pay for my own clothes we headed over to buy shoes. At this point I was willing to buy anything. I was in a hurry to go back to the hotel and talk to Edward. I felt anxious. I needed to make things good between us. So I settled with the first two pairs of shoes that Alice showed me; they were Jimmy Choo's and Manolo Blahnik's. I didn't care about the price. I only wanted to be done.

But I had to-not so patiently-wait for Rosalie and Alice to decide for the shoes that would go perfectly with their gowns. And after an hour of trying on shoes they finally chose _the ones_.

When we got back to the hotel it was already dark. I went into my room, and walked straight to the closet and carefully hung my new acquired gowns. I heard a soft knock on the door. And there he was. The person I needed to see.

"Hi, there." He whispered. "You survived."

I smiled, relieved that he was not mad anymore. "I'm a tough cookie."

"That, you are." He said.

"Come in." I said, gesturing for him to come inside.

He didn't move from the doorway. "Would you like to take a walk with me?"

He was nervous. Like if he was about to confess a crime he committed.

"Sure." I said.

I grabbed my key from the nightstand and walked out the room closing the door behind me. He had his hands in his pockets and a thin line on his lips. We walked toward the elevator and out to the street in silence.

The sky was cloudy, making the night extremely dark. And the chilly wind made the streets desolated. We walked at a slow pace, exchanging and awkward wordlessness. I tried to come up with a way to start a conversation but my mind was blank.

We arrived at Central Park and he led me toward a bench, hidden by some bushes that grew around it. And we sat on it.

"I wanted to apologize for my behavior." He said while holding my right hand with both of his. "It was very immature of me to storm out of your room like that. Please forgive me." His eyes were full of sadness.

"It's okay Edward. I fully understand your reaction. It's not your fault. You don't know everything." I said.

"What do you mean? What exactly don't I know?" He asked warily.

"Look, I know that you worry about my safety. You think Jacob is dangerous. But you have nothing to worry about. Jacob might be dangerous to any other vampire but he would never harm me."

He was about to interrupt me. But I placed my fingertips gently on his lips. "Let me explain to you the bond Jacob and I have."

He nodded and I began my story. "After you left, I was heartbroken. I was lost in an unthinking numbness." I said.

I had kept my eyes fixed on the ground. But I glanced up at him, and his face was contorted in pain.

"Please. Don't." I pleaded while caressing his cheek. "This is the reason I avoided sharing this with you. Get it through your head, _it's not your fault_."

"But it is." He said, and his tone was bleak.

"I will not continue if you can't promise that you will stop feeling guilty." I challenged.

"I can't promise you that. But I will appreciate it if you tell me everything that happened after I left." He asked. "And please, do not try to spare my feelings."

I hesitated. I would have to word my narration very carefully. I inhaled deeply and continued. "After four months of no improvement, Charlie threatened to send me to Florida. So I pretended to socialize again to get him off of my back."

I decided to omit the bar incident with Jessica, the purchase of the motorcycles and all the stupid things I did just to hear his voice.

He studied my silence. "You are editing." He accused.

"No I'm not." I lied. "I'm just trying to put my thoughts in order."

"You have always been a lousy liar."

I rolled my eyes and went on with my story. "I looked for Jacob. We became best friends. And he helped me through my numbness. He was a being of warm sun and comfort. And I'm sure he still is." The last thought brought a smile to my lips.

"One day, I went hiking by myself."

Edward shook his head. But before he had the chance to say anything, I continued. "I reached the place I was looking for and that's where I found Laurent. He told me that James was Victoria's mate and she wanted revenge. She had sent him to scout the territory, looking for a way to get to me. He was about to kill me when five giant wolves came out of nowhere and chased him away. I was really scared. At that moment I didn't understand why Laurent had ran away from some wolves. I didn't know they were werewolves. I didn't know Jacob was one of them."

Edward was tensed. He had his fists in a ball, breathing erratically. But did not say anything.

"I also didn't know that Sam had ordered him not to tell me he had become a werewolf. They thought that it was better if we didn't see each other any more. For my safety."

Edward nodded. Agreeing with Sam.

"Jacob found a way to go around Sam's orders. And once everything was in the open, he told me they had killed Laurent. But they hadn't been able to kill a red haired vampire that was very elusive. They thought she was Laurent's mate. I explained to him that I was her target. So they protected me from her."

Edward closed his eyes but stayed silent.

"There was always a werewolf close to me. Guarding Charlie and I. One day, after a late shift at work, Jacob was waiting for me to take me home when Victoria emerged from the forest, escorted by two other vampires. By the bright redness of their eyes, I assumed they were newborns. Jacob immediately phased and soon the other werewolves joined him."

"Victoria plan was to make her two accomplices attack the pack while she took care of me. She was not aware that the pack had grown. They fought in front of me. Victoria almost got to me but Jacob placed himself between us. Sam, Embry, Jacob and Paul killed her and the rest of the pack killed the other two."

"How large was the pack?" He asked.

"Ten."

Edward seemed impressed by the number.

"Jacob was hurt pretty bad, all because of me. It took weeks for him to recover. But the nightmare was over."

"You see, Edward. I owe Jacob Black my life many times over. He was willing to give his life for me. He almost died for me. He is like the brother I never had. There is no way in the world he would hurt me." I concluded.

We stayed in silence for a brief moment and then he spoke. "I am so sorry you had to go through all those traumatic events because of me."

"Edward…" I tried to argue.

He placed his hand gently over my lips, "Please Bella. Let me finish."

I nodded.

He took a deep breath. "I wanted to apologize, but an apology won't cover what I mean. But you have to know that I had no idea of all the danger around you. I thought you were safe."

"It makes me sick to know how wrong I was. All the evil you had to face without me protecting you. You had to put your life in the hands of _werewolves_ because of my actions."

"Please believe me, I am so sorry. And I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me." His eyes were full of sadness and sincerity.

I grabbed his face between my hands and looked intently into his eyes. " There's nothing to forgive."

He shook his head, not agreeing with me, but whispered, "Thank you."

I let go of his face and he grabbed my hands in his. "I… need to tell you… something very important." His hands were shaking and his voice was weak.

"Go ahead. You can tell me anything." I encouraged him.

"This is the worst time possible. But I cannot let another day pass by, without you knowing everything." He was extremely nervous.

He was looking at our entwined hands. "I need to talk to you about the last time we saw each other after your disastrous eighteenth birthday."

I froze. He was about to bring up the most painful memory of my life. All these years, I'd been trying to erase it from my mind. And he, of all people, was going to make me relive it again.

I looked down and instinctively released my hands from his and wrapped my arms around my torso, as I did many times when I would think about that day, and waited for him to finish what he had to say.

He placed his index finger under my chin and lifted up my face, forcing me to look at him. "Bella, I…"

Before he could finish his sentence, we were hit by a scent that was strange to Edward but very familiar to me.

"_Richard" _I said, spitting the word. "And he is not alone."

"I know." Edward said, probably listening to their thoughts.

He suddenly yanked me away from the bench, positioning me behind him. His arms spread wide, protectively in front of me.

I was too concerned about his safety, I didn't realize that he was treating me like a frail human. I was about to protest when I saw them. Three vampires walking toward us.

I quickly took my position next to him. He glanced down at me for a fleeting second with worried eyes.

Richard, Glenna and Sara walked cautiously toward us. They stopped a few yards away from where Edward and I stood.

"Bella, my darling!" Richard greeted me. "What a pleasant surprise!" His voice was apparently relaxed.

I matched his friendly tone. "Actually, I am the one surprised. What brings you around here?"

"We're headed north. We've been on the hunt all day, and the last thing we expected was to find you here. But I must say-I am glad we did." There was honesty in his voice.

Edward stiffened and a low hiss escaped his lips.

Richard turned his attention to Edward, scrutinizing him. Edward bared his teeth, never relaxing his aggressive pose.

"Who is this?" Richard asked me, without breaking eye contact with Edward, and taking one step forward into a crouch.

Edward let a snarl rip from his throat.

I spoke quickly trying to defuse the sudden hostility. "This is my friend, Edward."

The key word seemed to be _friend._ Richard relaxed a little bit. "Well, in that case, I have nothing to worry about."

He looked at me. "The invitation for you to join us is still open." His eyes moved appreciatively over my body.

Edward snarled even more ferociously, his lip curling above his bared teeth.

A swift rigidity fell on all three of them in response to Edward's reaction. They all lurched one step forward into a crouch.

Chills ran through my body knowing that we were outnumbered. And if this ended in a fight, Edward could get hurt.

We position ourselves ready for the attack when suddenly, the Cullens emerged from the trees, closing ranks before they stood next to us._Thank God for Alice's gift! _They gathered together, blocking me from the coven's view as they converged around me.

I couldn't believe they were treating me like an inoffensive human. I lifted my arms in exasperation and broke my way through their shield.

Richard and his companions stepped back as the odds had suddenly shifted and said, "I bear none of you any enmity, especially you, Bella."

Silence was our only response. So he continued. "We will head North and leave you alone."

He bowed his head, and took another appraising look at me. "I truly wish things were different between us. But who knows, maybe in a couple of centuries we'll find each other again, in different circumstances." He smiled, and then hurried toward the forest, getting glances of disbelief and aggravation from the rest of his coven who followed him without saying a single word.

We stood there in silence watching as they retreated. Carlisle broke the silence, looking at Edward. "Is it safe to believe that they've left for good."

"Yes. They have no intention on confronting a larger coven." His voice was low and bleak.

I finally was able to relax. I looked at each one of them. "Thank you. And I'm so sorry that once again, I brought danger to you." This situation was very similar to the one we lived with James and his coven.

Edward realized what I was referring to. And grabbed my hands tenderly. "It has never been your fault. These things could happen to anyone."

"They could. But they only happen to me."

"Bella, there's nothing to feel sorry about. You are part of the family. We will always be there for you." Carlisle said, smiling at me.

I knew it was awfully selfish. But I felt extremely happy to have the love and support of _my_ family, when dangerous situations came my way. I was ashamed of feeling that way but I couldn't help it.

Jasper felt my emotions, walked closer to me and whispered the same words he once said to me, "You _are _worth it." And he smiled kindly at me.

"It's late. We should go back to the hotel." Edward suggested. His voice, sadden by the fact we couldn't finish our conversation.

I had mixed feelings about our impending talk. I knew there was something important Edward needed to tell me. Something he had been avoiding for the last months. I was curious about it. But based on the beginning of our talk it had something to do with that awful day. Something I refused to revive.

* * *

_**A/N: Please, don't hate me. There was a lot of New Moon in this chapter, that it's kind of repetitive, but Bella needed to explain why Jacob was so important to her. And she needed to feel safe from the shadows of her enemies. This was a closure for her fears. (Well, not all of them).**_

_**Next chapter hopefully will make up for this one. :)  
**_


	12. Begining

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_Chapter 12: Beginning _

We walked toward the hotel in silence. In the hallway, everyone hugged me, showing me their love and support before going into their room, except for Edward who walked me to mine.

As I opened my door, he leaned against the wall and sighed. "Do you want to finish our conversation?"

I looked at his concerned eyes. "I would prefer if we do it some other time. Right now, I feel mentally drained."

"Yeah, I figured that. Go ahead and rest. We'll talk later." He said with a forced smile. He then got closer and gave me a quick peck on the cheek, and turned around and headed toward his room across from mine.

I went into my room, closing the door behind me and rubbed my cheek where his lips left a trail of fire on my skin.

Due to the unpleasant incident we'd experienced, our planned visits to The Statue of Liberty and The Museum of Natural History were cancelled, making Alice very irritable. But her mood changed when she _saw _that the Williams' event was still on.

I stayed in my room for most of the day, trying to figure out what Edward's confession was.

When it involved Edward, my intuition was close to null. My feelings and desires were turmoil of emotions.

I decided to stop agonizing over it, and let destiny decide where we'd go from here.

It was six in the afternoon when a soft knock made me jump. I put on a brave face and walked toward the door, ready for whatever was coming to me. But before I reached to the door, I knew that it wasn't Edward.

I opened it, and Alice was there, smiling. "Ready for your beautification?" She said. She was carrying a small pink case.

I smiled and let her in. We walked toward the bathroom and she set the case on the countertop. She opened it and different brands of beauty product were neatly organized in it.

"You don't really need any work done on you. But it's always fun to play cosmetologist."

I rolled my eyes, letting her know how much I enjoyed her fun.

She combed through my hair with a rhythmic motion. First she created some styled curls and then decided against them, only to style them again. "Make up your mind!" I nearly shouted.

"Be patient!" She answered, not letting my bad mood get to her.

After she was done with my hair, she moved to my face. Thankfully she didn't do much, due to my vampire features. She only applied a little eye shadow, and some gloss to my natural red-color lips. All the products inside her little case was just for show.

"All done! Get dress and we'll meet at the lobby in twenty minutes." She grabbed her little case and left the room.

When I was finally dressed I stole one last look in the mirror. The elegance of the dress mixed with its sexiness was unique. Alice's good taste was undeniable_._ I couldn't help but smile, and headed out the door.

I was a little nervous, as the elevator descended to the lobby. And when the doors opened, I saw him, leaning against the wall looking in my direction. He was wearing a black tuxedo; his beauty was absolutely surreal. I had only seen him dress in black one other time.

I walked toward him as he looked at me from head to toe, finally setting his eyes on my face. He reached for my hand, raised it and kissed it. "You are absurdly beautiful."

"Thank you. You look very handsome yourself."

_Handsome_ did not describe him. He looked breathtaking, stunning, magnificent, and absolutely beautiful.

He smiled, letting our hands fall but interlacing our fingers as we walked toward the limousine parked in front of the hotel. The rest of the family was already inside, waiting for us.

A couple of minutes later we arrived to the place where the party was held. People dressed elegantly were making their way inside the huge building.

As soon as we were inside, Chris and Tom greeted us and guided us toward our designated table. The ballroom was large and the decoration was exquisite. Flowers and champagne were of abundance.

Tom spent a few minutes with us, sharing marvelous things about _my mother, _and talking business-related matters with Carlisle and Jasper. He took us around the banquet room introducing us to a few businessmen. They were very friendly and talked to everyone about different things. But once they engaged into a conversation exclusively with me, Edward stood behind me, wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his chin on my shoulder. Making it difficult for me to concentrate on the conversation, as his breath tickled my neck every time he tilted his head slightly.

The show of possessiveness was on full mode. And when they asked me to save a dance for them, Edward growled very quietly, glaring at them with vicious loathing. Naturally, they became frighten and retreated immediately, without waiting for my reply.

I turned to him, narrowing my eyes. "What is wrong with you?" I asked incredulously.

"_What?" _His eyes were wide with feign innocence.

"Never mind." I said, turning abruptly and walking back to our table. He followed me close behind.

After dinner, Chris gave a very emotive speech, praising Tom's long and successful career. The sincere admiration for his father was very touching. Once he finished the dance began.

As soon as the music started, Chris walked toward me, offering me his hand to ask for a dance. A big smile spread on his face. I glanced quickly at Edward. And he did not look happy.

Not wanting to disappoint Chris, I stood up slowly and we walked hand in hand to the dance floor. He held me very close -too close for my comfort.

"You look gorgeous." He said gallantly.

"Thank you."

"I had never seen such beautiful woman until the day I saw you. I'm glad I had the chance to know you." He whispered.

I pulled back and looked at him. I knew where he was headed with this comment. So I replied quickly. "I'm happy knowing you too. It's good to develop a cordial _business relationship_. After all, we are going to be in contact, constantly dealing with different _business affairs."_

His face fell, but pulled me closer to him as the saxophone playing in the background created a romantic atmosphere.

I was waiting anxiously for the song to finish, so I could gracefully break our body contact. But another song started playing and he firmly held my body next to him.

I had decided to play along, _What's one more song, _when I heard a velvet voice behind me. "Pardon me. May I have this dance with the beautiful lady?"

I turned around to look at Edward. His voice was calm but his eyes were furious.

Chris bowed his head and released me unwillingly. Edward wrapped his arm tightly around my waist, holding me close, and started twirling elegantly on the dance floor.

His mouth was so close to my face that his breath tickled my ear, sending chills through out my body. "Your dancing is amazing," he whispered.

I didn't answer, afraid that my voice would break. I closed my eyes and savored the closeness, wishing we could remain in this embrace forever.

He held me tighter and I felt the passion I'd been trying to contain take over me. It didn't help when his fingers started traveling up and down my partially bared back, leaving a trail of fire with his touch.

His lips brushed against the skin just under the corner of my jaw. His breath blowing on my skin. I shivered involuntarily.

My arms tighten around his neck, pulling my body closer to his, refusing to allow any space between us. His lips traveling along my jaw moved up, touching the corner of my mouth. His lips were trembling, hesitantly, afraid to be rejected as if there were any way that I could do that. So I parted my lips, almost begging to be kissed, and then his mouth was finally on mine. He kissed me, something I'd wish constantly since the day that I'd found him again.

His kiss was tender but mixed with passion, desperation, and excitement. I kissed him back, letting all the emotions I'd been withholding pour into the kiss.

And then too soon, he pulled his lips away slowly, and whispered my name.

I stood there, dazed, floating on a cloud of blissfulness.

After a moment of silence, he looked at me intently, his eyes were full of love. "Come with me."

Without saying anything else, he held my hand and guided me through the crowd to the back door of the hall. I caught a glimpse of the Cullens staring at us as we exited the room. I smiled at them. And then we were outdoors, in the cold breeze of New York's winter.

He took me across the dark grounds until we reached a bench close to the beach. We sat there, and he pulled me against his chest. The night was lit by a full moon; his pale face glowed in the white light.

We stayed in silence for a brief moment. He sighed and looked intently at me.

"I love you _so much!" _He whispered.

I couldn't believe it. _Did he say He Loved Me?_

"I have always loved you." He added.

That statement confused me. _What about that dreadful day when he left me and told me he didn't love me anymore._

He noticed my puzzlement and locked my gaze in his. " I've loved you since the day I declared my love to you, in our meadow. I've loved you every single second of my existence."

"I don't understand. You told me… that day in the forest… you left me…" It was hard to articulate something that made sense.

"I lied to you." He said simply.

I froze.

He tried to loosen my rigid pose. "Let me finish!" And added quickly, "I lied to you when we were in the forest, when I left you."

I was confused. His words did not make any sense.

"I had to lie to you." He whispered. "I needed to leave to keep you safe, even if it killed me to do it."

I didn't say a word. I was too shocked to form a rational response.

He inhaled deeply. "I now realize that it was the worst mistake of my life. I'm so sorry because I hurt you. Sorry because instead of protecting you I caused all the pain you've suffered since my departure. I am sorry because it was a worthless effort. I am sorry." His eyes were utterly sincere as he asked for forgiveness.

Stunned, I shook my head. I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It was too much to take in. _He loves me; he had always loved me. How is that possible? Is my mind playing tricks on me? Is he really declaring his love for me?_

He took my face securely between his hands, while his eyes glared into mine. "I know I've hurt you too much. That I'm being selfish, hoping that you could take me back after what I've done to you. I know that I am not worthy of your love, but please believe me; I love you more than anything in the world, more than life itself, I could not exist without you. I pray everyday that you could forgive me, that you could still love me. Can you? He whispered.

I stared at him, realizing what his confession meant; he wanted me the way I wanted him-forever. He'd only left me because he loved me.

I took his hands from my face and pressed them tightly with mine. "Of course I love you. I have never stopped loving you. Neither time nor distance could erase the feelings I've always had for you."

He smiled widely and crashed his lips against mine. We kissed, and touched each other's face for what seemed an eternity, not wanting to ever let go of the other. We stayed engulf in our embrace, listening to our breathing subside.

I rested my forehead against his chest, breathing his scent. He kissed the top of my head and sighed. "I don't deserve you." He said.

I rolled my eyes, "Let _me _be the judge to that."

We stayed there for the rest of the night, in silence. Kissing and memorizing every line of our faces. And together we watched the beginning of the sunrise. It was the beginning of a new day, the beginning of a new life.

Before the sun finally rose, I felt buoyant as we walked toward our hotel, holding hands. I couldn't believe my luck. I was going to spend eternity with the most perfect man in the world, with the love of my life.

We walked through the lobby and stepped into the elevator. Once the doors closed, he kissed me passionately. My arms wrapped around his neck pulling myself closer to him. The doors opened and without breaking our kiss he swung me up so that I was cradled in his arms and carried me toward my room. Once in front of my door, he set me gently on my feet.

"Would you like to come in?" I asked, seductively.

"I'd love to." He purred.

I opened the door and took his hand and walked in with him.

He led me to the bed, his eyes wickedly gleaming. He then took off his coat and shoes and slid under the covers, patting the space next to him. Inviting me to join him. "I want you to lay down with me and let me hold you in my arms. I want to breathe in your scent. Feel your body mold to the shape of mine. I want to hum your lullaby and feel your body relax with the melody. I just want you, here with me forever. "

After listening to his beautiful speech. I was in awe. He was just the most amazing person in the world. I slipped off my shoes, and lay down quickly next to him and snuggled up, resting my head on his shoulder, breathing him in. He hummed my lullaby in my ear like he did so many years ago. His hand reached up to brush my hair from my face. Softly running his fingers over my cheek and then traveling down to trace my lips. "I love you", he whispered.

It was a precious moment, the best moment of my life.

* * *

_**A/N: I left a link on my profile for Bella's gown.**_


	13. Sparkly

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

* * *

_**A/N: In this chapter, Bella goes to her first Broadway show (a musical). After the show, Emmett reenacts the musical number. So I left a link on my profile with the song (You might want to skip the first minute and a half of intro.) What I'm requesting is that when you get to that part, play the song while reading the lyrics and imagine him acting –rolling down his stockings, bunny hugging, etc.- I love Emmett!**_

_**Enjoy.**_

_Chapter 13: Sparkly_

We stayed cuddling in bed for most of the morning. I left his side only to change into something more comfortable, getting a cute pout from him as I ran to the closet, and then to the bathroom, coming out of it wearing sweats and a T-shirt.

He was curled up on the bed with his eyes closed, smiling. I watched him for a moment, lying in there, looking like a god, until his eyes slowly open. He looked at my choice of clothing and smiled. "No matter what you wear. You always look stunning."

I rolled my eyes at him. He grinned and lifted up the sheets, welcoming me back to bed. I jumped back in, snuggling up to his body.

Just as we were getting comfortable again, a soft knock made us groan in unison. We looked at each other and laughed. By the scent I knew it was Alice.

"GO AWAY!" Edward yelled.

"I'm just so excited. I need to hug her!" Alice chirped behind the door.

"She is unavailable." He said, kissing the top of my head. "And to be honest, she'll be unavailable every single day for the rest of our existence."

I giggled at the thought.

"It's not fair, and YOU KNOW IT! Now, you better open this door or I _will_ do it myself." She challenged.

"I think she'll do it." I said, leaving the bed quickly and yanking the door open. Alice was grinning.

She hugged me fiercely, "I love you, _sister."_ She whispered. Her voice filled with emotion.

"I love you too, _sister_." I replied, and the meaning was so true.

"What, no hug for me?" Edward asked, extending his arms to embrace his sister.

"I should be mad at you. But I'm way too happy." She said, hugging him.

"And why should you be mad at Edward?" I asked.

"Well, first of all, because it took him forever to tell you the truth." She said, shaking her head. "Do you know how many times I fought with him because he would not talk to you?"

She glared at Edward and then looked at me. "And what's worse, he _forbade me, _to tell you the truth."

I looked at Edward. He smiled apologetically.

She paused for a bit. "And then, he went all crazy jealous on you. Jasper had to be alert, concentrating on calming him down during the William's party, which left no time _for me _and my husband."

She turned to look at Edward. "We hardly ever go to events like that one, and you ruined it for me."

"Jealous?" I asked surprised.

She looked at me incredulously."Come on, Bella. You didn't notice that he was about to kill Chris when he was dancing with you. Jasper's gift was not enough, Emmett had to physically restrain him."

My mouth was wide open, learning this information.

She continued. "Oh, and he didn't only want to kill Chris. He wanted to kill Joe, and Michael, and David and any man who laid eyes on you. Jealousy is…"

"_Enough!_" Edward interrupted her, glaring at her.

She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not afraid of you." And then she turned to look at me. "Like I was saying, before I was abruptly interrupted. Jealousy is a very disturbing feeling. Although, it pushed Edward into telling you the truth."

"_You're wrong!" _Edward challenged her. "I was about to tell her the truth when we were interrupted by Richard and his coven."

"And wasn't that driven by _jealousy _also." She replied, lifting an eyebrow.

She continued talking as if Edward weren't in the room. "You seee, Bella. Edward can't _stand it _when any male gets close to you. He is _possessive. _He read Chris' mind, and it drove him crazy. But what really got to him was your friendliness toward Chris. And to top it all off, then you decided to risk your life by meeting with a werewolf. And that's when he panicked."

I was completely stunned. I looked at Edward. "Is that true?"

He looked down. "Partially." His voice was low with shame. "But in my defense, Chris is a very annoying individual. If you only knew what was going through his head, you would also want to kill him."

"I highly doubt that." I murmured.

We stayed in silence for a few seconds and then I asked, " And what do you mean by _partially._"

He sighed. "It is true that I probably overreacted at the party. But nothing happened."

"Thanks to Jasper!" Alice interrupted.

He glared at her and then looked at me. "It is also true that I feel jealous when any male gets close to you. But I can't help it. The thought of someone taking you away from me is unbearable."

I couldn't believe it. He was unsure of his hold on me. And I thought I was the only one insecure. "Don't be ridiculous! No one is going to _take me away_ from you. My heart has always and will always belong to you."

He laughed, relieved?

"But come on, Edward. We are talking about _humans._" I said.

He held my face between his hands. "I once fell desperately in love with a beautiful human."

His words melted my heart. Maybe I needed to make myself clearer. "You see, Edward. I am already in love with a wonderful man. I don't have room in my heart for anyone else. You have nothing to worry about."

He smiled and kissed me tenderly.

Alice cleared her throat. "Hello! I am still here."

Edward broke our kiss and looked at her. "Exactly, what are you still doing in here?"

"Well, besides officially welcoming Bella to the family, I wanted to remind you that we have reservations for the Theater. I know you want to keep Bella to yourself, but this is New York. We already had plans before your act of bravery."

Edward wrapped his arms around my waist, _his possessiveness signature. _"As you must know, I already have plans for the rest of the day. But we will be back on time for the Play. And that's only because I know Bella wants to see it." He gave me a quick wink and smiled.

"Okay, but have her back by five o'clock. We need to work on her hair and make up." She said and walked toward the door.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, Edward kissed me passionately. His mouth then moved to my throat, sending chills through my body. "What… are… the plans… for this… afternoon?" I said between gasps.

"Oh. That is a surprise." He purred, his mouth never leaving my skin.

"Should we get ready--that is if we have to be back by five." I said, swallowing hard.

"I'm not sure. I'm tempted to lock ourselves up in this room forever." He said.

"I wouldn't mind." I whispered.

"Ugh. I have to learn not to be so selfish." He said, releasing me from his arms and started walking backward toward the door. "This is our last day in New York, and there is a place a want to take you before we leave."

I gave him my best pout along with sad puppy eyes. It worked. He came back to me, and started nibbling gently on my lower lip.

"You are a very dangerous creature." He said.

I smiled triumphantly.

"Let's get ready. You'll like the surprise." He said enthusiastically.

He left in a flash so he wouldn't be tempted on staying. I walked toward the closet and grabbed a black skirt and a blue V- neck blouse and dressed quickly. I decided to leave my hair loose. Three minutes later, he was at my door, wearing blue pants and a beige button down shirt.

"I missed you." He whispered, reaching for my hand.

"I missed you too."

We walked on the streets of New York holding hands. He refused to tell me where we're going. We finally stopped in front of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. I looked at him excitedly. and he grinned at me.

He led me toward the building and our tour began.

The place was amazing. We went straight to the European paintings department where major canvases, panels, triptychs, and frescoes made by artists from the 12th through the 19th century were displayed.

Edward enjoyed the Musical Instruments section. They had an international array of instruments; from accordions to koras to zithers.

We visited the Egyptian, Greek and Roman, and Medieval Art division. But our favorite was The American Paintings and Sculpture section, with portraits, landscapes, history paintings, folk art, and sculptures from colonial times through the early 20th century.

In this section, there was a painting that took our breath away named _Twilight on the Sound. _It was an oil on canvas, the artist rendered the various tones and tints of the sky and its reflection in the water, where earthly features were lost in silhouette, and the water acquired the warmth of human flesh. It was exquisite. We admired it for a long time, awed by its beauty.

After that, I didn't want to see anything else. We walked in comfortable silence back to the hotel. We stopped in front of my room and I looked up, meeting his eyes. "Thank you."

He kissed me softly on the lips. "You are very welcome."

A door open down the hall and Alice danced toward us, carrying her little pink suitcase. "I guess you liked your surprise." She said and I nodded. She smiled and let herself in the room.

I sighed and looked at Edward. "I guess I'll see you later."

He smiled and kissed me again, and walked across the hall to his room.

"Let the _fun_ begin." I said quietly, closing the door. Alice grinned at me and immediately started working on my hair. And again, once she finished, she left me alone to get dress. The elegant Armani Rosalie chose, was absolutely beautiful. I made a mental note to thank her properly.

Once I was ready I walked to the elevator, and down the lobby. Edward was waiting for me. He looked exquisite. He held my hand and brought it up to his lips. "You look gorgeous." His eyes staring intently into mine.

I smiled. My stomach full of butterflies.

We walked toward the limousine but this time we had to wait for the rest of the family. I slid on the leather-covered seat, and Edward followed me behind. I was surprised to see a bottle of champagne, chilling on a bucket of ice, with eight fluted glasses around it.

"Champagne? We _are_ vampires, you know?" I asked, using humor to cover my curiosity.

"We have to celebrate our latest addition to the family. The champagne is merely symbolic." He said.

"Oh." I said, unable to add anything else, touched by the gesture.

Nervously, I started fiddling with the satin bow in my dress. He held my busy hand and pulled me closer to him, kissing me tenderly.

The door opened, and the members of the family slid in, one by one interrupting our kiss.

In an uncomfortable stance, each one of them hugged me, and kissed me, before taking their place inside the car.

Jasper tapped on the glass window, ordering the driver to head out to our destination. Emmett reached for the bottle of champagne. He peeled the wrapping off the cork and removed the wires that held the cork in place. He aimed the top of the bottle straight at Edward, a devious smile on his lips. He wiggled the cork until it exploded, flying out toward Edward. He caught the cork in midair, throwing it right back at Emmett who caught it just less than an inch from his face. "Good One, Edward." Emmett said.

Everyone burst into laughter while Emmett filled our glasses and handed them to us.

Carlisle held his glass. "Bella. You have belonged to this family since the first day our son realized he was undeniably in love with you. Your love has been encompassed by a series of unfortunate events that have finally ended. And paved the way to the beginning of a bright future." He raised his glass. "To love."

"To love." We replied, clinking our glasses into each other's. My heart melted at his words.

Edward kissed me softly on the lips.

We dumped the champagne into the bucket and chatted cheerfully on our way to the Theater.

Back at home we couldn't agree on what show to attend. We all wanted to see a Musical, but we were divided between 'Phantom of the Opera' and 'Chicago'. They tried to make me choose but I declined, arguing lack of knowledge. I suggested doing it democratically. They agreed, and we voted; 'Chicago' was chosen.

We finally arrived and I was excited and ready to enjoy my first Broadway show. And we walked into the Theater.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The curtain closed and once outside the Theater, I couldn't contain my excitement. "The show was SENSATIONAL!" I shouted. "The dancing, the music, the singing…it was just perfect."

Edward chuckled quietly, amused by my enthusiasm. By then, we had decided to walk back to the hotel, and enjoyed the beautiful winter night.

"I liked how Roxie killed her lover and became a celebrity." Rosalie commented.

"But the talented one was the dancing jailbird, Velma." Alice said.

"You know what I liked the most?" Emmett asked.

We all turned to look at him. He extended his arms and started dancing and singing. "_All that jazz!"_ We all joined in the fun.

**(EMMETT)**

_Come on babe_

_Why don't we paint the town?_

_And all that Jazz_

_I'm gonna rouge my knees_

_And roll my stockings down_

_And all that jazz_

_Start the car_

_I know a whoopee spot_

_Where the gin is cold_

_But the piano's hot_

_It's just a noisy hall_

_Where there's a nightly brawl_

_And all_

_That_

_Jazz_

**(CARLISLE)**

_Skidoo!_

**(ROSALIE)**

_And all that Jazz_

**(ALL OF US)**

_Hatcha!_

_Whoopee!_

**(ESME)**

_And all that Jazz_

**(ALL OF US)**

_Ha! Ha! Ha_

**(EMMETT)**

_Slick your hair_

_And wear your buckle shoes_

_And all that Jazz_

_I hear that Father Dip_

_Is gonna blow the blues_

_And all that Jazz_

_Hold on, hun_

_We're gonna bunny hug_

_I bought some aspirin_

_Down at United Drug_

_In case we shake apart_

_And want a brand new start_

_To do that-_

**(ALICE)**

_Jazz_

**(JASPER)**

_Find a flask_

_We're playing fast and loose_

**(ALL OF US)**

_And all that jazz_

**(CARLISLE)**

_Right up here_

_Is where I store the juice_

**(ALL)**

_And all that jazz_

**(EDWARD)**

_Come on, babe_

_We're gonna brush the sky_

_I bet you lucky Lindy_

_Never flew so high_

_'Cause in the stratosphere_

_How could he lend an ear_

_to all that Jazz?_

**(ME)**

_Oh, you're gonna see your sheba shimmy shake_

**(ALL OF US)**

_And all that jazz_

**(ROSALIE)**

_Oh, she's gonna shimmy 'till her garters break_

**(ALL OF US)**

_And all that jazz_

**(ALICE)**

_Show her where to park her girdle_

_Oh, her mother's blood'd curdle_

**(ALL OF US)**

_And If she hears her baby's queer_

**(ESME)**

_For all that jazz_

**(EMMET)**

_All that jazz_

_Come on babe_

_Why don't we paint_

_The town?_

_And all that jazz_

_I'm gonna_

_Rouge my knees_

_And roll my_

_Stockings down_

_And all that jazz_

_Start the car_

_I know a whoopee spot_

_Where the gin is cold_

_But the piano's hot_

_It's just a noisy hall_

_Where there's a nightly brawl_

_And all that-_

**(ALL OF US)**

_jazz_

**(EMMET)**

_No, I'm no one's wife_

_But, oh, I love my life_

_And all that Jazz!_

**(ALL OF US)**

_That Jazz!_

After the most amazing performance by The Cullens and Co., We exploded in laughter. No one seemed preoccupy about being inconspicuous.

I had never had so much fun in my life. What a way to start my new life.

We got to my room and I was still humming _All That Jazz. _I was intoxicated by happiness. Edward was looking at me ardently. There was a spark on his eyes I had not seen before.

He held my hand and pulled me to him and started kissing me gently. But somehow it was different. His lips were not anxious, but enthusiastic. I began to feel cautiously optimistic. Perhaps tonight was _the night_.

Our kiss deepen, and I crushed myself closer, molding my body to the shape of his. The tip of my tongue traced the curb of his lower lip, making him gasp. I took advantage of his reaction and quickly slipped my tongue into his mouth. His eyes flashed open in shock but eventually relaxed, allowing me to explore his mouth for the first time. _God, the taste! _ He then mimicked my action by exploring mine.

His hands moved slowly down my arms, across my ribs, and to my hips. Once his hands were firmly secure on my hips, he pulled me closer. I felt his _prominent excitement._ My fingers knotted in his hair, clutching him to me. He let out a moan, making me more eager. A fire filled my body as he touched me. But I wanted more.

He kept exploring my body with his hands and I felt his fingers grazing my breast slightly, making me gasp in pleasure.

And _that _did it! He stopped abruptly, breaking the kiss and pressed his forehead to mine. We were both gasping for air, our chests heaving. "Sorry." He said, "That was out of line."

"I don't mind." I panted. "As a matter of fact, I really enjoyed it." And I reached for his lips again.

With a low chuckle, he pulled away. "You're underestimating my self-control."

I didn't understand. I thought he wanted this as much as I did. "Why?" I asked, confused.

He held my hands tightly in his. "Bella. There are no words to express what you mean to me. You are my world, _my love_. Where my life was dark, you have brought light. You are my reason for existing."

I gasped as he slid down onto one knee. "Isabella Swan?" He looked up at me, his eyes full of love. "I promise to love you forever. Will you marry me?" He was holding a little black box.

I tried to say something romantic but I was on a state of shock. This was unexpected. Finally, I whispered, "Yes."

His face broke into the most beautiful grin. He took my left hand in his, and slid the ring into place on my third finger. "Perfect." He said.

I examined the oval shaped ring on my finger. It was beautiful. It had slanting rows of glittering round stones, a gold web around them. The gold band was dainty and narrow.

I stroke _my ring_ delicately. It's so pretty," I murmured to myself.

"Do you like it?"

"I loved it!"

He reached for my hand and kissed the ring. "This is the ring my father gave to my mother."

"It's beautiful."

"I'm glad you like it."

"I really do."

He kissed me gently and led me to the bed. I snuggled up next to him, resting my head on his shoulder. I raised my hand in front of us and together we admired the oval sparkling against my skin.

We both sighed in contentment.

* * *

_**A/N: I left a link on my profile for the Armani, Bella wore (Rosalie's choice). And I also fixed the link for chapter 12, if you want to check it out.**_

_**On a different note, I wanted to tell you that the painting Bella and Edward loved is real. "Twilight on the Sound" by John Frederick Kensett, is displayed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. I tried posting a link but it ends up in errror. I don't know why. But you could Google it. I loved it! **_


	14. Memories

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

* * *

_Chapter 14: Memories_

After the most fantastic time of my life, we were back home. And I felt like I was living in a fairy tale dream. Over the weekend I had become a daughter, a sister and a fiancé. It was wonderful.

But there was one little thing that tampered with my perfect picture; Edward informed me that we were not going to have sex before our marriage. He said something about_ the need to protect my virtue_. It was utterly ridiculous. Like if we hadn't wait long enough. But he vowed to keep my virginity intact until we were blessed under holy matrimony.

I found a quick solution for that problem. I had the brilliant idea of eloping; no big production, no fanfare. We could just make it official and move on to the lovemaking. But when I shared my phenomenal plan with him, he chuckled, "Very tempting, but no."

"But, why?" I whined.

"You only get marry once." He said, and then paused remembering something. "With the exception of Rosalie and Emmett."

He held my face between his hands, looking intently into my eyes. "Bella, I want this day to be memorable for us, the most beautiful, special moment of our lives. Something we will cherish for eternity."

I hated it when he talked so romantic to me. There was no way in the world I could argue with him after such a sweet explanation.

I had to admit that his request was acceptable. He wanted our nuptials to be special. _I could do that! _And it was easy; we had to plan a wedding where a total of eight people, including the groom and bride, would be attending. We could probably have the ceremony in their backyard or in their living room. We didn't have to worry about food or drinks, except for the symbolic champagne. How long could it take us to organize _that_? One or two days?

Of course, there was the dress, but Alice was already on top of that. So when Edward told me that we had to wait a couple of weeks, I became instantly suspicious. Something had happened and he was not sharing any information with me. And after observing Alice I knew something _was going_ to happen.

I attempted to find out what was going on. I tried from persuasion to bribery to demand. But nothing worked. They all played innocent with me. The only thing I knew for sure, was that it had to be something good. There was no sign of negativity around it. So I decided to let it go, _for now_.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

A couple of days later, we were back to our daily routine, school, work, and my new favorite task, _kissing_.

On day after school, we were cuddling on my bed when Edward remembered something. "When are you going to show me what you're hiding in your attic?"

I froze. "Never?"

He glared at me. "Bella?"

I knew that sooner or later, I had to show him . I sat up and stared at him intently. "All right, I'll show you. But before I do, you have to promise me that you are not going to laugh at me or be judgmental, or label me crazy, and _especially _you have to promise that you will not run away from me."

"I would never do something like that!" He sounded offended.

"Promise me." I demanded.

He raised his right hand. "I promise."

I heaved over the side of the bed and grabbed his hand, and walked toward my studio/attic. I stood in front of the door, hesitant. Edward rubbed my back, signaling support.

I inhaled deeply and opened the door, letting Edward in, and I stayed back observing his reaction.

He walked around the studio slowly, running his fingers on the canvases with paintings that described my deepest feelings and hopeless fear.

He looked at the paintings one by one, without saying a word.

I waited for his reaction anxiously. He was serene, quiet.

The paintings rendered the greatest feeling of all: my love. They were portraits of him; his eyes, his mouth, his nose, his face, his hands, his crooked smile. Canvas after canvas with his image perfectly painted on oil. There were hundreds of them.

After going over all of them he walked toward me, slowly. I couldn't look at him; my eyes were fixed on the floor. He lifted my chin with his index finger and forced my eyes to look at his. He didn't say a word. He only looked intently at me, his eyes full of emotion.

"I was afraid!" I whispered.

He tilted his head and waited for me to explain.

I breathed deeply. "All of these paintings, helped me to hold on to the past. They kept me from going crazy."

"My greatest fear was that my memories of you would fade with time." I took his face between my hands. "Remember that day, when you told me that my human memory was no more than a sieve?"

He nodded.

"Well, the memories I had from you were all part of my human life. And although I knew my feelings for you would never change, I was afraid that the details of your physical appearance would be lost with time."

He closed his eyes as I ran my fingers on his face delicately. I caressed his cheek, and stroke his eyelids. I traced the shape of his perfectly straight nose and then, his lips, which parted at my touch, his cool breath escaping and filling the air I breathed. "I couldn't allow myself to forget you."

"Oh, Bella." He whispered as he opened his eyes slowly and looked at me intently. He didn't need to say a word. I was relived that he understood, because he wasn't looking at me like I was crazy. His eyes were full of adoration. He was looking at me with love.

His hands cradled my face, stroking my hair off my cheeks. And then he captured my lips with his, kissing me tenderly.

Our kiss deepened, becoming more ardent. A thrill ran through me so sharp and delicious. And in a swift movement he pushed me backwards until I bumped into the wall. I parted my mouth, inviting him in, which he did. And we savored each other's taste.

My arms tighten around his neck, pulling him closer to me. One of his hands grasped my waist while the other roamed freely over my body, softly caressing my breast on his passing to my hip and down my thigh. He pulled my leg up and hitched it around his hip, and pressed himself into me. His hardness sent waves of pleasure through my body.

He moved his lips away from my mouth and began to kiss my jaw and the base of my neck, along my collarbone to the hollow just under my ear. A moan escaped my lips as he traced his tongue along my ear and nibbled my earlobe. I shivered, enjoying the sensations I was feeling.

He kissed my mouth again. And then my hips, on their own accord, started rocking against his, reveling in the way he made me drunk with wanting him, and it was the same way he wanted me.

His lips were at my ear again. "Bella," he murmured. And then they were slower against my cheek and jaw. The urgency that possessed us dwindled with each chaste kiss.

He chuckled once, a throaty sound and disentangled himself gently. He moved beside me, using the wall as support. We stood there panting, both of our chests heaving,

I looked at him and in between breaths I asked him, "Are you sure that you want to wait until we're married?"

He turned his head and looked at me. His eyes were still black with passion. "Yes. At least that's what I try to tell myself. But I _swear_, it's getting harder and harder."

I arched one eyebrow and smiled mischievously.

He chuckled, shaking his head. A smile hovering his lips. "To wait, Bella. It's getting harder to wait."

I grinned at him and he grinned back.

After a few minutes and once our breathing was somehow back to normal, I reached for his hand, "Come with me, I want to show you something."

He kissed my hand and walked next to me. "There's more?" He asked.

I smiled and led him to an adjacent room he had failed to noticed. I opened the door and looked at him. He looked at the room and then glanced at me with wide eyes. He let go of my hand and walked to the center of the room, awestruck. The room was perfectly round. Giant canvases covered the walls from the floor to the ceiling. There was a thick green carpet across the floor, and a huge skylight was directly overhead. I had painted the canvases with colorful yellow, violet and white flowers and vivid colored trees. It was my rendition to our meadow.

I walked to the center of the room and lay on the green carpet, looking at the clear sky through the glass ceiling. The stars were sparkling beautifully. He soon joined me, reaching for my hand. I turned my head to look directly into his eyes. "During the night it feels magnificent. But during a sunny day is just divine."

"You are the most wonderful creature that has ever walked this earth." He said.

I rolled my eyes and turned to look at the sky. "I used to come here everyday and lay still for hours with my eyes closed, pretending that I was at our meadow. Imagining you, next to me." I smiled widely. "I don't have to imagine anymore."

"Do you know that once we get married, I am moving in this house, and we are never moving out?"

"Don't worry. I've recreated our meadow on every house I own. It's like carrying it with me everywhere I go."

"You are wonderful." He said.

I smiled and closed my eyes contently, lying next to the love of my life.


	15. Confession

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_Chapter 15: Confessions_

The arrival of the new day found me in the arms of my love, cuddling in our _second _meadow, comfortably looking at the sky. Around nine o'clock Edward left, telling me that he would come back later in the afternoon. He needed to go to the city and take care of some matters. He didn't tell me what it was, and I didn't want to ask.

Although his absence created an immediate longing, it would also allow me to do my very neglected chores around the house.

Since we came back from New York, I spent all of my free time in his arms. My world turned only around him. There was some serious dusting to do. And my laundry pile had tripled.

The cleaning was done in minutes but the laundry had to be done at the pace of the machine.

By noon my house was neatly organized again. I still had hours to wait for his return, and they dragged. I tried to occupy my mind by reading but I was unable to concentrate. And the anxiety prevented me from getting inspired to paint. So with nothing to do, I started pacing in the confines of my living room.

Around four o'clock I heard a car approaching the house. I immediately ran to the door and yanked it open. Parked next to my Audi was a shinny silver car. Edward was stepping out of it with a grin. "What do you think?"

I raised an eyebrow. "A silver Volvo?"

By then he was standing next to me. He didn't answer me, he just pulled me to him and kissed me passionately. I locked my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss. "I missed you _so _much." I whispered.

He moved his lips to my neck and between kisses he said, "Not more than I."

I turned my head to see his new car and it reminded me of something. "Tell me why you didn't have a car until now?"

He avoided my gaze. "No particular reason."

He was being elusive. I sighed and held his hand and led him toward the couch in the living room. "Edward, talk to me." I said firmly. "I opened my heart and soul to you and told you everything that has happened to me; the good and the bad. You need to do the same."

His eyes were fixed on the floor. "Everything has been so wonderful, I don't want to disturb the happiness around us."

"Our happiness will not go away. You need to open up and tell me everything."

"I rather not tell you." He hesitated. "But you're right."

He stroked my cheek with his fingers. "But I need to warn you, it's not pleasant." His eyes were full of concern.

"It's okay." I assured him.

He held my hands in his and sighed. "That terrible day, after I said goodbye to you, the world stopped around me. My existence was meaningless. You already know that I left because I loved you. The only thing that mattered to me was your safety, your happiness."

He paused and his expression became hard. " I needed to make sure you had a life free of danger. So I decided to track Victoria. I wasn't really suspicious about her but any minimal threat to you had to be eliminated."

I looked at him in horror realizing the danger he could've faced, confronting that monster. I saw it with my own eyes how difficult it was for the pack to destroy her. It took five of them to subdue her. I couldn't imagine Edward confronting her by himself. "You tracked Victoria?"

He clenched his jaw. "Very unsuccessfully. I followed a false lead to South America where I wasted months looking for her. And she was so close to you."

He shook his head slowly. "Anyway, when I wasn't actively tracking I would just curl up in a ball and thought of you. I fought against the yearning of being with you every second of the day. The desire of going back to you and beg for your forgiveness was so strong, but I fought it every time."

He paused, looking into my eyes. "On September 13th, a year after the disastrous event, I decided to give in to my feelings and go back to you. I was going to beg for your forgiveness, on my knees, until you'd take me back."

I couldn't believe it. _He went back for me!_

"Emmett met me at Seattle's airport. He wanted to see me, after months of separation and used the excuse to take my car to me; he drove it all the way from Ithaca, and then he took a plane back to New York. It was nice to see my brother after so long but what I was ecstatic about, was that I was going to see you again. "

His face suddenly became dark. "When I arrived at your house, everything was dark. As I got closer I heard Charlie's thoughts. He was thinking about an accident; about your death. Images of a cliff and the burnt wreckage of your truck ran through his mind, along with sobs and thoughts of regret. I refused to believe it. I walked to the door, praying that all that was some kind of misunderstanding and knocked urgently. He opened the door, and the pain and sadness on his face said it all. He looked at me and said _you're too late,_ closing the door on my face."

I shook my head. "So close. You went back a week after I left. How ironic."

He nodded. "I slid in my car and drove through the winding road, utterly numb. And as the numbness became rage, I pressed harder on the accelerator, knowing that without you, my life was over."

He closed his eyes and smiled. "I drove off a cliff, wishing I could end my life the same way yours ended. I knew it was futile, but I wanted to feel what you felt on the last seconds of your life."

He opened his eyes and continued, "And next to my car's wreckage, I decided to go to Italy."

I shook my head violently, realizing what that meant. I perfectly remembered his words, on my eighteenth birthday while watching Romeo and Juliet; _I wasn't going to live without you. I would go to Italy and do something to provoke the Volturi._

I tried to compose my face so that he would go on.

He looked at me with some concern. His mouth quirked at the corner. "Once I made my decision, Alice saw it, and with the rest of the family, they went to Italy to try to stop me. They had the advantage of being on the East Coast. They arrived at Europe before I did and waited for me at the airport."

He looked at me as if apologizing, "I was firm about not letting anybody intervene with my decision, until I saw Esme. She dropped on her knees and begged me to reconsider. Her tearless sobs were more than I could handle. Defeated I let them bring me back, and crawled to the darkest hole in my room, letting misery take what was left of me."

I thanked Esme from the bottom of my heart.

He continued. "All these years I'd been curled up in a ball, oblivious to the world around me, living the hell I deserved. I didn't even go out to hunt. They would bring small animals to me. It was sick, like feeding a caged animal." He wrinkled his nose in disgust.

I thought back over the first days, after I'd found him again. "That's why you didn't know about the books, and the music. And how you reacted when I asked you about your car. And the first day I saw you, you looked… ill." I said understanding what he'd been through.

He nodded. His facial expression changed and a smile started to show. "The day Alice found you, she came into my room like a cyclone, yelling _she is alive._ I ignored her, not caring what she was talking about and she attacked me. Physically attacked me. Jasper had to restrain her."

I smiled at the thought of little Alice attacking Edward.

"I pushed her off of me and I really wanted to wrinkle her little neck, but of course Jasper felt my _emotion _and position himself between us." He shook his head and smiled. "It took them a while to convince me that you were alive. When I finally accepted it, I couldn't believe my good fortune. I was having a second chance. I knew that I didn't deserve it, but I welcomed it."

He concluded his story. "You know the rest."

I stayed in silence, trying to absorb all this information. He went back for me, after a year of suffering, only to learn about my death. All the pain, the attempted suicides, the self-seclusion he lived through, was to say the least, shocking.

"Why didn't you say anything?" I asked, thinking of all the months we'd lost after our reunion.

He caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. "I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?"

"I was afraid of your rejection. After knowing all the pain and suffering you went through because of me, I was sure you couldn't love me anymore."

I shook my head in disapproval.

"I rather had you as a friend, than not having you in my life at all. I thought that maybe with time, I would make you fall in love with me again."

"You're a fool."

"I was a fool. A fool in love." He said, smiling at me.

I understood him. I don't know what I would have done if I thought he was dead. The only reason I sort of continued existing was because I knew he was somewhere in the world, living his life. I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely. "I'm sorry that you had to suffer so much."

He pulled me tight against his chest and kissed the top of my head. "It's over now."

And he was right. The nightmare was over. A bright future ahead of us was all that mattered.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

We decided to forget the past and focus on more pleasant things. We were watching a movie on the couch, when my phone vibrated. I reached over to the corner table next to the couch and with my fingertips grabbed it, trying not to leave my favorite spot, Edward's lap. I smiled at Edward triumphant and flipped it open. "Hello."

"_Hi Bella. It's Chris. How are you?"_

I felt Edward tense up under me. "I'm doing fine. Thank you. How about yourself?"

"_Better, now that I finally hear your voice"_

I small growl started building on Edward's chest. I tried to get up but he held me firmly on his lap. "What can I do for you?"

"_I'm calling to inform you that I finally got in touch with Mr. Black and he is willing to meet with you next Tuesday, in Seattle"_

I jumped off of Edward's lap, instinctively. "That is good news! Tell me the place and time and I'll be there."

"_Here is where it gets unsettling. He doesn't want to meet in an office. He wants an outdoor place. It's an unusual request. It makes me suspicious about his intentions. I don't think we should grant his request. "_

"It's okay. "Where exactly does he want to see me?"

He was surprised by my eagerness. _"Well, he mentioned a park. Discovery Park, but I don't think you should…"_

"I'll be there." I said, before he could finish his sentence.

"_Well, in that case I'll be more than glad to accompany you." _He offered.

Edward stood up and let out the growl he'd been holding in. I placed my free hand on his chest and shook my head. "I appreciate your offer but it won't be necessary. Edward Cullen, my fiancée, will be more than glad to be my escort."

Edward smiled widely and walked around me and stood behind me, placing kisses on my neck.

"_Oh. I understand. Congratulations."_ His voice was filled with disappointment.

I immediately felt bad. Chris had been nothing but good to me. I tried to push the guilt and sympathy out of my head. I knew I needed to stop his infatuation, I just wished that there were a gentler way to do it. "Thank you, Chris."

"_Let me know of the result of your meeting with Mr. Black. Have a safe trip and Good Luck!" _ His professionalism was impeccable.

"Thank you for everything, Chris."

"_Good bye, Bella."_

"Bye." I said and hung up the phone.

I stood there staring at the wall pensively when Edward's voice in my ear brought me back from my thoughts. "I feel sorry for him."

"Who?"

"Chris." He said, turning me around so I could face him. " I feel sorry for him because once one falls in love with you, there is no return from it. From now on, every woman he meets, he'll compare her to you. He'll never find anyone more beautiful, intelligent and charming than you."

I shook my head, grimacing. "He'll be fine."

"I highly doubt it."

I sighed. There were other things in my mind worrying at the moment. "Edward. I know I told Chris that you were going with me to Seattle. But I think I should do this alone." I looked at him pleading. I didn't want to hurt his feelings.

He closed his eyes and clenched his teeth together. "No."

"If this is about my safety, do not worry, I trust Jacob. He won't hurt me." I said, pleading again.

He opened his eyes and looked at me. "Werewolves are unstable and I do not trust him. I will not allow you to be near a werewolf unprotected."

I understood Edward. He was worried about my safety. But I remember clearly how much Jacob hated the Cullens. The last thing I wanted to happen on my reunion with him was a confrontation. And there was not doubt in my mind how Jacob would react if Edward were near him.

I would have to word my explanation carefully. "I understand your concern about my safety, I truly do. But I think that your presence will upset Jacob. It'll be an unnecessary incitement. He is not really fond of you, and provoking him is the last thing I would want to do."

"That is not relevant. I _am_ going with you. It is not negotiable." He said, his voice adamant.

I realized he was not going to change his mind. I needed to change strategy and maybe compromising was the solution. "Okay," I sighed. "You will go with me to Seattle but during my meeting with Jacob, you will stay at the hotel and wait for me there."

"I _will_ go with you to Seattle and during your meeting with Jacob, I will be at the park within considerable distance from you, in case you need my intervention." He said. There was firmness in his tone.

He was not going to change his mind. I turned away, shaking my head. "And they call _me _stubborn." I muttered.

He laughed and kissed the top of my head. "I almost lost you once. And from now on, I'm going to be wherever you are, together forever."

And that was the new plan. _We_ were going to Seattle.


	16. Old friend

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_Chapter 16: Old friend_

We were ready for our trip to Seattle. Everything was set. Alice had foreseen no danger of being recognized at the airport, but her vision disappeared once I'd come in contact with Jacob, making Edward uneasy and nervous.

We boarded the plane and sat down a little uncomfortably due to the tension we felt. The ride seemed very long. I smiled as Seattle's clouds covered the space beneath us. Turmoil of emotions took over my mind.

"You've been very quiet." Edward observed.

"Just a little nervous."

He held my hand between his and pressed it gently. "Everything will be fine."

"I know." I whispered.

We arrived at the Sea-Tac airport, retrieved our luggage and we went straight to the car rental office.

We had about two hours to spare, but instead of going to a hotel and wait, we decided to drive to Discovery Park.

Once we arrived to our destination, we stayed inside the car in silence, both of us feeling extremely anxious due to different reasons: My nervousness was more like an excitement because I was going to see my best friend again. It was a dream coming true. Edward's uneasiness was due to the fact that he couldn't be standing next to me, ready to protect me from a _very dangerous enemy._

He pinched the bridge of his nose. "I don't like this."

I rubbed his arm gently. "I'll be okay."

He sighed and forced a smiled. "If you say it's safe, then I'll believe you. But I hope you don't mind if I take some precautions."

I raised an eyebrow.

He looked as if he'd swallowed something sharp. "I'll wait for you in the car." He sighed and shook his head letting me know he disapproved of that decision. "But I need to be close enough to hear Black's thoughts so I'll know for sure that you are safe. And you have to take your cell phone in case you need to talk to me."

"That sounds reasonable." I said

"Thank you." He smiled at me, relaxing a little.

We talk about random topics trying to calm the tenseness, but then it was time for me to go see my best friend. I leaned toward Edward to kiss him goodbye. He fastened his arms tightly around me and kissed me back, his lips urgent and anxious.

He let me go reluctantly. "Be safe."

I smiled and I stepped out of the car, and walked toward the place where I was meeting Jacob. I arrived to the exact place, sat on a bench and waited for him.

A few minutes later a familiar scent hit me; a woodsy, musky, nice scent. I turned my head toward where the smell was coming from and saw him. He was standing tall a few feet from where I sat, looking straight at me, the wind whipping his beautiful long hair against his russet face.

He didn't look as old as I expected. He looked in his early thirties, although he was around forty-seven years old.

"Jacob." I whispered.

A familiar husky voice said, "I knew it was you."

I stood up and walked slowly toward him, stopping right in front of him. I looked intently into his eyes and threw my arms around him instinctively, pressing my face against his chest. "Oh, Jacob. I've missed you _so _much."

He was frozen for a second and then wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly, kissing the top of my head. "I've missed you too, Bells."

We stood like that for a moment. He didn't seem bothered by the contact. "I love having you in my arms, but honey, you stink." He joked, wrinkling his nose.

I hit him on the shoulder, playfully, grabbed his big hand and led him toward the bench. "Tell me how you've been, Jacob."

"Same old, same old." He said. "How about you, Bells?"

"Good."

Suddenly Jacob tensed up. His eyes tightened as he looked around the park. "Vampire." He spit out.

I knew he had caught Edward's scent. "It's okay, Jacob. It's just Edward."

He looked at me accusingly. "You're back with that _leech_. After all the suffering, all the havoc, you forgave him for everything?"

"There was nothing to forgive."

"_Good God_, Bella. You really have a bad memory."

"Please let me explain everything to you, starting from the beginning." I pleaded.

He glared at me, crossing his arms over his chest. "Go ahead."

I took a big breath and began. I started with the reasons Edward had for leaving me, to the consequences my death's news had on him and all his family. How we coincidentally reunited and how we were planing to get married.

Once the Edward issue was explained I described my life as a vampire from the day he last saw me until now. I kept it as concise as possible, leaving out anything that was too painful or unnecessary. He listened deep in thought without interruption.

I concluded with my reunion with the Cullens. "Now you know the whole story. So it's your turn. What have you been doing in the last thirty years?"

He wasn't too happy with my story but didn't say anything. Instead, he smiled and leaned forward. "Before I start, I want to apologized for leaving you when… you know…when you were changed."

I could see that it was still hard for Jacob to accept what I'd become. I held his hand, reassuring him. "There is nothing to feel sorry for. You guys did more than enough. Please do not apologize for something that was out of your hands. It was not your fault."

"I know. But still, I should've stayed with you. All those years living in a cave, like a wild animal…" He shook his head slowly.

"That's in the past, and it turned out good. I got to meet Albert, I found the Cullens again…" I said.

He grimaced at the last comment. "Anyway, after we left you, we went back to the reservation to pick up my dad and took him with us to give Charlie the bad news."

He looked down, trying to hide the pain on his face. "Charlie was really affected by it. I'd never seen a grown man crumble in pain like he did. He demanded to be taken to the accident site so he could see it with his own eyes. We did. And I felt so guilty not being able to tell him you still existed."

I bit my lip, envisioning the pain my father went through.

He looked up to the sky. "I now understand a father's pain." He sighed and continued. "We went back home and had a memorial service for you. All of your classmates were there, along with your mother, her husband and Charlie. The Quileutes were also there, for Charlie."

I was touched. My parents, my friends. All went to say goodbye to me.

"Charlie went into a severe depression. We all tried helping him, especially my dad and Sue Clearwater. Charlie had been there for her when she lost Harry and now she was there for him, consoling him on his loss."

A small smiled hovered on his lips, indicating a positive change in the story. "Three years after your…death. Charlie and Sue realized that after spending so much time together, they'd fallen in love. They tried to fight it. They felt it was wrong. After all, Charlie was Harry's best friend. But after my dad's intervention and blessing they got married."

I couldn't believe it. My dad got married after so many years of living alone. I was shocked but ecstatic.

Jacob noticed my overjoyed face and smiled widely. "And do you know what the best part is?"

"What?" I whispered getting excited by the second.

"Well, once Harry died, Sue took his place in the council, you know that." He said. I nodded.

"She had all the rights a werewolf has, including the fact that she could reveal all the secrets to her mate."

I knew where he was going with this. _Charlie knew!_

He smiled, noticing my realization. "Yes. Charlie knows."

_He said ' knows'. That means that my father is still alive._ "Is Charlie…"

"Yes, Bella. He is still alive and happily married I may add."

I couldn't believe my good fortune. This news was better than I expected.

After a moment of silence he continued. "When Sue told him about the mystical creatures roaming the world around him, he thought she was crazy. But then Seth was going through some teenage phase. Charlie had become a good father figure for him. They were very close. Anyway, Charlie witnessed Seth transforming accidentally, and that's when he believed it."

"We still, had not told him that you had become a vampire. Sue thought it was not a good idea, since we didn't know exactly what had happened to you. Where you were, what had become of your life. It was better for him not knowing until we were certain of your whereabouts."

My face fell. "He doesn't know?"

"He _didn't_ know." He corrected me.

He shook his head. "I'm getting all confused with my timeline. Let me see if I could explain all this to you without making a mess."

I nodded.

"After your memorial service, I went back to the reservation and called for a meeting. I didn't like the fact that I was forced to do something against my will, because Sam ordered it. It's a werewolf thing; we cannot go against the Alpha. You probably do not know, but _I_ was supposed to be the Alpha. So I decided to take my rightful place. They agreed."

I smiled. "Chief Jacob."

He rolled his eyes at me. "I didn't do it for the name and the glory. I did it because no one could stop me from looking for you." His eyes turned soft. " And so I did. Every year I went to the area where I last saw you, and looked for you, unsuccessfully.

I had no words for his kindness.

"Ten years ago, I was getting back to the Reservation after another failed attempt at finding you, when Leah confronted me about it. She yelled, demanding from me to stop my quest. I remember her words '_forget about Bella, She is now a vampire. Move on.' _We didn't notice that Charlie was only a few feet from us. He heard everything. I had no choice but to tell him the truth."

"What did he do?" I asked anxiously.

"At the beginning he was mad as hell because we kept the information from him. Then he became extremely happy, knowing that you were somewhere, alive. He made me take him with me to look for you, until he realized that his human abilities only slowed me down. Now he only waits for the day you would show up at his door."

"Does he know about this meeting?" I asked.

"Nope. I wanted to be absolutely sure that it was you, before telling him."

I placed my hand between his cheeks and looked intently into his eyes. "Thank you, Jacob. You don't know what this mean to me."

He smiled. "I think I do."

I let go of his face and started biting my lip nervously. "What do I do? Should I just show up without any warning? What do you think?"

"Calm down, Bells." His voice was soothing. "I think I should go back first, and prepare him before he sees you. We don't want him to have a heart attack. He is not young anymore, you know?"

"You're right!" I grinned unable to contain my excitement. "I will always be in debt with you. I love you!"

"Sure, sure."

He let me enjoy my moment of happiness. I wanted to run to Edward and shared it with him. But I remembered he was listening to Jacob's thoughts. For sure, he was happy for me.

After somewhat calming my emotions, I sighed contently and looked at Jacob. " Okay. You told me everything about Charlie. Now tell me what is going on with your life."

I hadn't missed his words early:_ I now understand a father's pain._ I was extremely curious to find out if he had fulfilled his life with a wife, kids.

He smiled humbly. "Eight years ago, I imprinted. We got married six months later and we were blessed with a beautiful girl one year after we got married, followed by twin boys and we are expecting our fourth child, who will arrive in about a month."

"You've been very busy." I teased.

He smiled proudly "Yep."

"Tell me more about them." I ordered.

"Well, her name is Katherine. But don't you dare calling her that! She likes to be called Kat. You know, some people are weird, like that."

I narrowed my eyes and tried to fight a smile back. " She must be a very intelligent woman."

He laughed. "She's very smart, and beautiful, and brave, and very, very stubborn." He rubbed his chin with his thumb and index finger. "She reminds me of someone…"

I had to laugh at that.

He grinned at me."What can I say, I always had this weakness for beautiful, stubborn women."

"Well, I like her already."

"And she likes you. She'd learned to love you through my eyes. And she can't wait to meet you."

"I'll be honored to meet her." I said, sincerely. "Now, tell me about your kids."

His eyes brightened with pride. "My girl is beautiful. Her name is Marie and she is seven years old."

I was moved by this fact. "You named your little girl…?

"Yep. I named my little girl after my best friend." He said proudly. " My two boys, Will and Jake are four years old. They are a handful."

He took out his wallet. "Here, I have pictures of them."

He showed me pictures of his kids; a gorgeous little girl with big dark eyes, beautiful long, black hair and her dad's smile. The two boys were identical twins, but they were also identical to their dad, with russet skin, black eyes and the same beautiful smile. The resemblance was incredible. It was like seeing two miniature Jacobs. "They are gorgeous!" I said.

"Thanks."

We talked for hours. I was surprised about Sam and Emily welcoming their first grandchild, and how little Seth was already a dad. "He is forty-four." Jacob reminded me.

"I know, it's just hard to imagine people aging when you are stuck on a eighteen-year old body, which reminds me… How come you don't look forty-seven?"

He smiled. "Because when we become werewolves, we reach full growth in a matter of months and stop aging. Once we stop phasing for a solid length of time, we age again."

"So, you are not getting old?"

"I wasn't getting old. But once I found Kat, I stopped phasing because I want to grow old with her." His eyes were full of love.

"I'm so happy for you, Jake." I said, caressing his cheek.

He held my hand on his face with his. "Thanks, Bells."

He looked at the sky covered with dark clouds. "It's late."

I sighed. "I know."

"I'll go home and get Charlie prepared for your arrival."

"Thank you sooo much."

We stood up and I hugged him tightly. "I love you Jake."

"I love you too, Bells, stench and all." He said, kissing the top of my head.

And he left. I waited until his silhouette disappeared from my sight. I turned around and ran toward where Edward was waiting. He was leaning against the passenger door and as soon as he saw me he hurried to meet me. He caught me in mid-air, his arms wound tight around me. "Bella," he said, relief strong in his voice.

I wrapped my arms and legs around him. "Sorry I took so long. But the most amazing thing happened." I said elatedly.

He chuckled. "I know, and I'm very happy for you."

I rested my head on his chest and sighed contently. Life was just getting better and better.


	17. Dad

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

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_Chapter 17: Dad._

Watching the headlights twist with the curves of the road, I bounced up and down on my seat unable to contain my excitement. I felt like a little girl who was meeting her daddy after a long separation. I _was _that little girl. I talked non-stop and Edward listened in silence, amused by my joyfulness.

As the forest gave way to the first familiar buildings, nervousness took over. Edward's fingers brushed my cheek, soothing the tension. I looked at him and smiled.

We stopped in front of Charlie's house. The porch light was on. And as I examined the place I used to call home, I noticed no changes at all. The house looked the same as it did thirty years ago. "Go ahead." Edward encouraged.

I smiled. "What about you?"

"You need to be alone with your father. I'll stay at my old house and wait for you to call me."

I kissed him softly on the lips, and when I was about to open the car door he said, "Love. Before you call me, you should take a shower."

I raised an eyebrow not understanding. He smiled and wrinkled his nose, "You smell like a wet dog."

"What is wrong with you guys? Jacob tells me I stink, you tell me I smell like a dog. To me everyone smells just fine."

"Are you telling me _his _scent doesn't bother you?" He asked surprised.

"Why would it? He smells like wood, like nature." I said.

He chuckled. "You are an unique creature."

I stepped out of the car and he was murmuring, "aversion to human blood, liking to werewolf smell. Weird, weird stuff."

I turned around scowling. He smiled apologetically, flashing his gleaming teeth. "I love you," he sang. "Call me."

And then he was gone. I stood there looking at the car speeding down the street. I laughed at his tactic to divert my tension. He was good.

I looked back at the house as the curtain twitched in the living room window. I rubbed my hands together and walked nervously to meet my dad. The door suddenly opened and there he was, looking at me with sad eyes. His hair was dark gray rather than white. His face had wrinkles, but not enough to cover the smoother face in my memory. He opened his arms offering me his embrace silently. I walked toward him and hugged him carefully but fervently, and tearless sobs erupted from my chest as soon as I felt his arms around me.

He cried shamelessly as the weak light on the porch lit our emotional reunion. "Welcome home, kid. I missed you."

"I missed you too, Dad."

We stood wordlessly for a long time, embraced in the wonderful moment. Once his tears dried, he took my hand and led me inside the house. We walked hand in hand toward the couch. He spent several minutes touching my face, my hair, and my hands. "Your eyes are different." He finally said.

I smiled and he continued. "Your skin feels cold and hard. Are you cold?" He asked concerned.

"No dad, I don't feel cold anymore."

"Ever?"

I shook my head.

"I'm sorry Bella. I've never met a…" He paused unable to say _vampire._ "You know." He looked down, ashamed.

"It's okay, dad. And you have met… _some_ before."

His facial expression changed. "Oh. I forgot. _The Cullens._" He said, resentment in his voice. "So, what's the story?"

I sighed. "Dad. I would like to tell you everything that had happened to me, but I need you to keep an open mind. Please?"

"I could try, Bella. But I have a pretty good idea on who to blame for what happened to you."

"There is no one to blame, dad. What happened to me was caused by fate."

"Fate, my ass" He yelled.

"Dad!"

He closed his eyes, trying to control his emotions. "I'm sorry Bella. This is really hard for me." He opened his eyes slowly. "I'll be good. Just be patient with me."

I touched his cheek with my hand and he flinched instinctively. I drew my hand back but he grabbed it and placed it back on his cheek. "It's just the cold. It's unusual." He explained.

I smiled. "Thank you, dad."

"Now. Tell me _everything_!" He commanded.

For the third time, I had to relate my story. And I didn't mind. Charlie had the right to know. Of course, I omitted all the negative stuff and exaggerated the good.

He was amazed as I described how I hunt bears and mountain lions with my bare hands. And got a little jealous when I talked about Albert.

I explained to him how good the Cullens have been to me; since the day I met them, back when I was human, until now. His feelings toward Edward seemed to change a tiny bit, when I told him that the reason he left me was because he didn't want me to become a vampire. "I guess it's good you're not alone anymore, but I still don't like him." He said. _ Yep, a tiny bit._

I sighed but didn't say anything. One day he would learn to like him. _I hope_

I concluded my story. "And I hate human blood as much as I did when I was human."

"You've never...? You know. Instinct is something hard to control." He said, afraid to ask me directly what he wanted to know.

I held his hands in mine and looked intently into his eyes. "No dad. I have never taken a human life. And I will never do." I assured him.

"Well, That's good to know." He said happily relieved.

I smiled. "Okay, now it's your turn. Jacob told me about you and Sue."

He felt a little embarrassed and worried. "Yeah. These things happen."

"It's okay, dad. I'm happy for you." I assured him.

"Really? You're not mad?"

"Why on earth would I be mad."

"I don't know. I thought that maybe you wouldn't like it."

"I love the fact that after so many years, you decided to rebuild your life. And I know that Sue is an excellent woman."

"Thank you, Bells. It means a lot to me."

"Okay. Details?"

He smiled widely and told me how he found love again. He also told me about Seth, and how close they've become. And how Seth's little boy was the light in his life. "He is as sweet as they come. And smart, very smart." He gloated.

"You're a Grandpa!" I exclaimed joyfully.

"Yep. I am little Harry's Grandpa."

I hugged him carefully. Congratulating him. "This is so great!"

He smiled contently and tried to stiff a yawn.

I suddenly realized that he needed to sleep. Time just flew by. "It's late, you have to go to sleep." I ordered.

He got up stiffly and waited for the blood to circulate his legs again, and he looked at me. "You're staying. Right?"

"I'll be here when you wake up. But I can't stay long. Too many people who knew me are still around. They're not supposed to know about vamp… us. How could I explain that I'm forty-eight but still look eighteen?"

"Yeah. That'll be a hell of an explanation." He looked at me sadly. "At least stay a couple of days. They won't know you're here." He pleaded.

"Okay, a couple of days. Now, go to sleep. You're an old man, you need your rest." I teased.

"Old? Says the forty-eight year old 'old woman'." He teased back.

"Old woman?" I pretended to wince in horror.

He pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head. "I love you kiddo."

"I love you too, dad."

"Your room is as you left it. No one has touched it. Except for the occasional dusting by Sue."

"Thanks Dad."

He smiled and went upstairs to his room. "Night. See you tomorrow."

"Good night." I said.

I stayed downstairs observing the changes in the house. Although the exterior remained the same, the inside of the house had gone through a major renovation. The walls were painted a soft green, with some beautiful art pieces decorating them. The furniture was fairly new and it matched the décor. The kitchen was bright and well organized. Sue's femininity was displayed on every detail. The house was warm and welcomed.

I was surprised to see the pictures of my childhood still hanging on the wall, along with Seth's College graduation, and pictures of a child, which I assumed was little Harry. He was really cute.

After I memorized Charlie's happy home, I went upstairs and open my bedroom's door. It was the same familiar room from my childhood. The light blue walls, the yellow curtains, my small bed, the desk and the rocking chair. I touched each item and registered them into my memory.

I sighed melancholically, took out my phone and dialed Edward's cell. "Bella". He answered on the first ring.

"Hi." I said.

"I'll be there in a minute." He said and hung up.

I opened the window wide, and lay on my bed and waited for him. I chuckled softly at the familiarity of the situation. In less than five minutes, Edward came through the window. "Old habits are never forgotten." I joked.

He smiled and laid down on my bed next to me. "How are you, love."

"Happier than ever. Especially now that you are here, next to me." I said and reached for his lips.

He kissed me eagerly. And as he moved his lips from mine to my neck he whispered, "I missed you."

"I missed you too." I said, trembling by his touch.

"How is Charlie doing?" he asked.

"He is doing great, physically and emotionally." I said.

I told Edward how Charlie, being a man in his early seventies, looked healthy and robust. Love , along with grandparenthood rejuvenated him. He was happy.

He listened in silence, playing with a strand of my hair. Once I stopped talking he said, "I need to talk to him."

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"I need to ask him for your hand in matrimony." He said as if it was the most obvious thing.

"From all the most ridiculous…" and then it hit me. "_You knew_!" I accused.

"I knew what?"

I sat up and looked intently into his eyes. "You knew Charlie and I were going to reunite. That's what Alice saw!"

"I don't know what you're talking about." He said, faking innocence.

"_This_ is the reason you wanted to wait to get married. Isn't it?" I asked, already knowing the answer. "Talk." I ordered.

"All right. Alice had a flash of you reuniting with Charlie. It lasted less than a second, nothing concrete. We thought her visions were clouded by the werewolves' presence. Now I know for sure. But that tiny possibility of you and your dad, together, was enough for me to wait so your dad could give you away."

He pulled me back next to him and kissed my neck softly. "Believe me, Bella. I am _desperate_ to make you my wife; to make you completely and entirely _mine._"

He moved his lips from my neck to my jaw. "The chance of having your dad in our wedding, knowing that it would bring you happiness; was the only thing that stopped me from making you mine sooner."

His mouth traveled to my ear and softly nibbled it. "That's why I am not waiting any longer. In a few hours, I'll ask Charlie for your hand and tomorrow you'll be my wife. And then…." I growl escaped his chest.

I looked at him and his eyes were glowing with desire. I kissed him passionately, showing that he was not the only one _desperate._ He responded with the same passion, his hands traveling over my body, beginning to cross the boundaries. I crushed myself against him eagerly. And he stopped abruptly, pushing me away with gentle, but firm hands. We were both gasping for air. "I will be counting the hours." He said breathless.

"How many hours?" I asked, my voice breaking.

"I don't know the exact time, but it's less than forty-eight." He said.

"Less than forty-eight." I repeated. "Don't they officiate early morning ceremonies?"

He laughed. "I don't know. But I certainly will find out."

"How?" I asked.

"As soon as the day begins, I'm traveling to Olympia to make the arrangements so you could become Mrs. Cullen."

"Mrs. Cullen. I like the sound of it. _Mrs. Edward Cullen." _ I said gloating with pride.

"I like it more than you." He said.

I rolled my eyes, and cuddled closer to his body. I extended my hand in front of us, admiring my ring. "I've been wanting to ask you something."

"Hm?"

"You told me that before our trip to New York, you had decided to wait to tell me the truth."

"Yes." He said.

"How come you had this ring with you, if you were not planning on proposing before we left home? Did you carry it with you all the time?" I asked truly curious.

"No, love. I didn't carry it with me. This ring was in my bedroom back home."

"But how did you…?"

"Well. Once the events in New York changed our situation, _Thank God. _ I asked Emmett and Jasper to go back and retrieve it for me. They did it while we were at the museum. They took a private jet and came back in no time." He said.

"Wow, how nice of them."

"Nice? Not remotely close. I had to pay them for the 'favor'"

"Pay?"

"Not with money, but I have to wash their car after every hunting trip for a whole year. But it's fine. It was worth it."

"I want to help you." I offered.

He kissed my forehead, "It's not necessary, love."

"I really want to. I think it'd be fun."

He sighed sharply.

"What?" I asked.

"It's nothing." He said.

"Edward?"

"Don't get offended but I just imagined you, all wet wearing a see-through T-shirt." He looked apologeticly at me. "You know it wouldn't be the first time I'd seen you like that."

Ugh, he was thinking of the lake incident. "I thought you promised me that you'd never bring that up, ever again."

He laughed. "I think about that vision every day. I can't help it. You looked so… sexy." He sighed closing his eyes, probably imagining that moment.

"Stop it." I ordered.

He opened his eyes and smiled crookedly at me. "You can govern my heart, but my mind is mine and it runs free."

I shook my head, trying to look mad but couldn't contain the smile breaking through my lips. Edward grinned at me happily.

After a few minutes in silence, I suddenly realized something. "What about your family? They won't be here for our wedding." I said feeling sad.

He kissed my forehead. "They're flying over as we speak."

"My dress?"

"Alice's taking care of it. You're only job is to relax and be happy."

And I was. The happiest person in the whole world.

* * *

_**A/N: There are only two more chapters left plus a short epilogue. I'm going out of town to celebrate Independence Day but I'll be back next week. And I will post the rest of the story by the end of it. Have a happy 4th of July!**_


	18. Petition

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_Chapter 18: Petition_

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At dawn Edward left, promising to come back around noon to talk to his future father in law. But before he left, he retrieved my bags from the car so I could shower and change clothes. He was really serious about the werewolf smell. I took a shower and waited for Charlie to wake up.

As soon as Charlie woke up I went downstairs to make breakfast for him; an omelet, french toast and freshly squeezed orange juice along with his coffee.

A few minutes later, he came down. "Morning," he said as he glanced at the food. "It looks good."

"Morning dad."

He sat down at the table and started eating. I watched him eat in silence. "Good stuff, Bella" he said, getting the last crumb from his plate.

"I'm glad you liked it."

"You were always a good cook."

"Thanks." I was happy that he liked it. The last time I cooked, it was for Albert, many years ago. It was good to know that I hadn't lost my touch.

I picked up his plate and took it to the sink, running the water while washing it. I cleared my throat. "Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Edward is coming later, to talk to you."

"What does he have to say to me?" he asked, his voice hard, restraining anger.

I turn off the water and faced him. "He is coming to talk to you because he wants to make a marriage petition." There, I said it.

"You're getting married?" he asked. "When?"

"Tomorrow," I said timidly.

"Well, if it's already settled, why does he need to ask?"

"Edward is old fashioned. We want your blessing."

He got up, walked around the table and stood in front of me. "_You _have my blessing," he said, pulling me into a hug.

"Would you give me away."

"Of course I will. You are my daughter and I love you."

I sighed contently.

_-x-_

The rest of the morning we talked about things in general. We were laughing about the latest little Harry's mischief, "…and we found his backpack filled with worms that he gathered from the backyard, eager to go fishing with me."

Over the loud laughs he didn't hear the soft knock. I went to the door and let Edward in. He held my hand and together we walked toward Charlie. "Hello, Charlie. How are you?" Edward said.

"Hi," Charlie grumbled.

Edward's visit was short and to the point, due to Charlie's nuisance. He formally asked for my hand in marriage and Charlie conceded. After that, Edward excused himself and left, claiming that he needed to take care of some wedding-related issues. Charlie was happy again.

Late in the afternoon, Alice showed up at Charlie's door, carrying a long white garment bag. Charlie was genuinely happy to see her. He'd always had a soft spot for her.

After a brief chat with Charlie, I took Alice to my bedroom and she set the long bag on my bed. She unzipped it and showed me the most beautiful gown I've ever seen; ivory silk satin with girdle and sash with metallic floral embroidery, and fine silk tulle at the neckline.

"Well. What do you think?" she asked.

"It's perfect." I hugged her, kissing her spiky hair. "What color is your dress? My Maid of Honor has to look good."

She looked at me surprised and hugged me fiercely. "Thank you, Bella."

"_Thank you_, Alice."

After trying on my dress, we went downstairs and talked about details of the wedding. She then went to her car and came right back, carrying Charlie's tuxedo. She already knew it would fit him perfectly.

"The wedding is scheduled for three in the afternoon so you need to be ready by one. I'll be here at eleven to get you ready for the ceremony," she informed me.

She placed a hand on Charlie's shoulder. "Bye Charlie, it was nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Alice."

And she left.

"She is very efficient, isn't she?" Charlie commented.

"Yes, she is."

Later that night, Sue got home. She had stayed at the Reservation to give Charlie and I some privacy. She was nice and polite but kept her distance from me, understandably. I respected her personal space.

A few minutes after Sue got home; Jacob arrived accompanied by his beautiful wife. She was tall, and had shiny long black hair. Her eyes were dark brown and very expressive. She had a perfectly straight nose and her lips were full and rosy. Her russet skin was a little lighter than Jacob's. Kat was gorgeous. And the glow of motherhood was just superb.

Jacob was right when he said she was brave. I was surprised that after the introductions, she pulled me into a hug, knowing what I was. Jacob expression said 'I told you so'. We talked and laughed for a couple of hours and before they left, they gracefully declined my wedding invitation. "I'm sorry Bella. You know I love you, but I cannot be in the same room with a bunch of vampires. I do not trust them. I do not like them," Jacob said.

"Don't worry about it, Jake. I completely understand," I assured him.

"I do wish you all the happiness in the world. You deserve it," he said, hugging me and kissing the top of my head.

"Thank you, Jake."

"And about your project; we accept your proposal," he said.

With the chain of events, I had completely forgotten about that. "Really, Jake?"

"Yes. Send your people so we could sign the papers and we'll start as soon as possible," he said.

"Thank you. You don't know how happy that makes me."

"But we still need to talk about profit proportions. One-party beneficiary doesn't work with us. It has to be equal," he said firmly.

"It's okay, Jacob. I don't need…"

He interrupted me. "It's equal benefits or nothing."

I didn't want to argue with him. "Whatever you want. We'll talk about it some other day."

"Yes. We'll be in contact," he said, hugging me again.

And they left.

I went back to my room. And I was admiring my beautiful wedding gown when my phone buzzed. "Hello, Edward."

"Hi, beautiful."

"When are you coming? Charlie and Sue are already asleep."

"I can't," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"My mother and sisters have prohibited me from seeing you. They say it's bad luck if the groom sees the bride before the wedding."

"I'm not superstitious."

"Neither am I. But I'm not taking any chances."

"Not even if I beg?" I asked with a seductive voice.

"Sorry, love. You could try, though. It'll be fun to hear you beg," he teased.

"All right. But I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too. But look at the bright side; tomorrow you'll be officially mine," he said. " _Believe me,_ I can't wait."

"I know what you mean."

"Good night, Mrs. Cullen."

"I love the sound of that. Good night, and I love you."

"I love you more," he said and hung up the phone.

Without Edward and nothing to do, the night would be very long.

* * *


	19. Forever

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

_**A/N: **__This is the last chapter of Feelings on Canvas. I had a hard time writing this final chapter because I wanted to do a good job with it without falling into vulgarity. I hope I hit my mark. Please let me remind you that this is rated M. so yeah… enjoy!_

* * *

_Chapter 19_: _Forever_

A typical day in Forks with the overcast sky arrived. It was perfect! I was getting married and my new life as Mrs. Cullen would soon begin.

After showering, I went downstairs and prepared breakfast for Charlie as I did the day before. The rich smell of coffee and the clanking woke him up. Sue had left early in the morning to buy a dress for the ceremony.

We were sitting at the table. Charlie was finishing the last of his breakfast. I looked at him nervously. "I appreciate what Sue is doing, but she doesn't have to go. I understand how difficult it is for her to be around vamp... us." I told him, hoping not to offend him.

He shrugged. "She wants to go because you're my daughter and as my wife she thinks that she needs to be by my side. If that's how she feels I'm not going to argue with her."

"She is a very brave woman." I smiled, admiring her courage.

He nodded, proud of his wife.

Alice arrived with her little pink suitcase ready to transform me into the most radiant bride in the world. And this time I did not complain; I wanted to look my best for Edward.

We went to my room and the meticulous process began. Alice combed through my hair for a long time, until it shone. She opted for a natural look with my long brown hair cascading over my shoulders. The make up was also very simple: lip gloss, mascara and eyeliner.

Once she was done, I looked in the mirror and I saw a face that I did not recognize. And it wasn't because of the perfect make up, but the glowing radiating from my eyes and face was something I've never seen before. I smiled happily. "Thank you Alice."

"Any thing for you Bella. You are my sister, truly," she said, getting emotional.

"It's a good thing we can't cry. Tears are not a bride's best friend," I teased.

"Or the Maid of Honor's." She laughed, her voice breaking with emotion.

I hugged her tenderly for several minutes. She was my true sister.

She pulled away at last and smiled at me. "Careful with the make up."

"Sure."

After sharing our special moment, she helped me to get dressed, and once I put my shoes on I was ready, and we exited my room. Charlie was also ready, waiting for me downstairs. I started descending the stairs with Alice holding the train behind me; my dad gasped.

I looked at him and he looked handsome in the light tuxedo Alice brought. His eyes were teary. "Bella," he whispered. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you dad," I said, getting emotional again.

"The limousine is waiting. I'll be right behind you." Alice informed us

"Where is Sue?" I asked.

"She decided to drive herself. She left thirty minutes ago."Charlie said.

"Shall we go?" I asked him.

He offered me his arm and we headed out toward my happiness.

Once Charlie and I were inside the limousine, Alice smiled and walked toward her car, her beautiful light blue dress ruffling with the wind.

The ride was mostly quiet. The glances full of love coming from my dad didn't need any words. I slid over, closer to him and rested my head on his shoulder and sighed contently. He held my hand through-out the ride.

We arrived at Olympia and the weather was perfect, with the sun hidden behind the clouds. We got to the small chapel and as soon as the driver opened the car's door Alice was there, ready to adjust the details of my entrance.

We stood in front of the closed doors, while she rearranged my train. She then handed me a beautiful bouquet of white roses, lifted my veil and retouched my make up.

Once everything was perfect, she smiled satisfied, and kissed me on the cheek. She opened the big doors in front of us and my march down the aisle began.

As I walked next to my father, I glanced quickly around the chapel and it was beautifully decorated with white roses. The Cullens and Sue were the only audience present.

My eyes then fixated on the most gorgeous man I'd ever seen. He was shuffling from foot to foot, nervously, but when he saw me, he froze in place. His topaz eyes wide, gleaming with joy and love. He looked amazingly handsome in a black tailcoat, with six front buttons that did not close and a peaked lapel, with matching pants. The double-breasted vest he wore matched the color of my dress, and the fancy silk jacquard tie, completed the perfect outfit. He was so beautiful. I stared at him in awed disbelief.

We walked slowly toward him and when we reached the altar Charlie lifted my veil and kissed me on the cheek. "I love you, Bells," he whispered.

Edward stepped forward and offered me his arm and Charlie gave me away. "Take care of her," he ordered.

"Oh. I will. Sir." Edward answered, unable to contain his beautiful smile. He looked into my eyes and whispered,"You look heavenly."

I smiled and the ceremony began.

Our wedding was very traditional. I read my vows first, and even though they were short and simple, they described my love for him. He then began his beautiful speech.

_"Bella: where my life was dark, you have brought light_

_and now I join my life to yours, as your husband,_

_your friend, your lover and your confidant._

_Let me be the shoulder you lean on,_

_The rock on which you rest._

_I want to be the companion of your life_

_And walk our path together for eternity."_

His words took my breath away. He had just described exactly how I felt about him. My heart inflated with love.

The rest of the ceremony was just a blur, until I finally heard, "I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Edward wrapped me into his arms and kissed me tenderly but passionately. He released me and looked intently into my eyes. "I love you, Mrs. Cullen."

"I love you," I whispered and smiled widely. I _was _Mrs. Edward Cullen.

Esme, Alice, Rosalie were sobbing as they came to hug me. The Cullen boys were smiling as they congratulated Edward. Charlie approached me with teary eyes, and hugged me tightly, wordlessly. He then shook hands with Edward.

Emmett grabbed me up in a bear hug. "Welcome to the family!"

Carlisle and Jasper hugged me and kissed me on the cheek.

Sue walked toward me, smiling and touched my arm. "Congratulations, Bella."

"Thank you, Sue."

After all the hugs and kisses, we walked out of the chapel as husband and wife. I couldn't contain the happiness that overflowed my heart.

Once outside, Carlisle invited Charlie and Sue for a little get-together at their house. They accepted and we headed back to Forks, to the Cullens' mansion.

Charlie rode with Sue, and Edward and I rode in the limousine, alone.

We kissed during the whole ride, which was actually shorter than I remembered. Or maybe I didn't want his lips to leave mine.

We arrived and headed toward the backyard where soft music played in the background; it was his music, his compositions. It was beautiful.

We reunited with the rest of the family and sat at the one table in the middle of the garden, surrounded by colorful exotic flowers, that I was sure were brought from somewhere far, on the other side of the world. I made a mental note to ask Alice how she did it, on such a short notice. But then I remembered, she was a psych after all.

The champagne was served and after a beautiful speech from Alice and a funny one by Emmett who was the Best Man, we raised our glass and cheered. "To love."

My first dance as Mrs. Cullen was amazing, especially with Edward whispering love words in my ear. His arms were wrapped tightly around me and I closed my eyes and laid my head against his chest, peacefully enjoying his embrace as we swayed with the music; it was my lullaby.

My dance with Charlie was very emotive, even though his skills as a dancer had not changed. He told me how happy he was for me. He was a proud father. I also danced with Carlisle, Emmett and Jasper, while Edward danced with his mother and sisters. Sue danced only with Charlie.

After Charlie and Sue finished eating their steak and lobster, ordered especially for them. We proceeded to cut the small cake that seemed to be delicious by the look on Charlie and Sue's faces.

Jasper was in charge of taking photographs while Emmett videotaped it.

Everything was perfect. The only thing missing was my mother's presence. But I knew that I shouldn't complain. I was having more than what I would dare to dream. I was sure that she would've been happy for me if she were here. She was always in my thoughts.

After the cake, Charlie said goodbye to everyone and hugged me fiercely. He then turned to Edward. "Are you gonna let her come to visit?"

"Bella doesn't need my permission, Charlie. After our honeymoon, she could come as often as she wants," Edward answered.

Charlie turned to me. "Are you?"

"Yes Dad. I'll try to come frequently. Of course, I'll always have to travel incognito."

He laughed. "Whatever it takes."

"Where are you going for you honeymoon?" Charlie asked.

I realized that we had not talked about any particular destination. "In two days, we're going overseas. Bella doesn't know where. It's a surprise," Edward answered for me.

"Oh. Okay, Bring pictures, Bells," Charlie said.

"Sure, dad."

He hugged me once more before wrapping his arm around his wife's shoulders and left.

I turned to Edward, "Where are you taking me?"

"Didn't you hear me? It's a surprise." He said pulling me against his chest and kissing me passionately.

"Okay, I think that's our cue." Emmett said loudly.

I started giggling while Edward nodded.

We started cleaning up and I lost Edward from my sight for a brief moment. He came back a few minutes later as his family was saying their good-byes and then they left.

Edward turned to me, his eyes burning with desire. "Finally," he whispered.

He kissed me deeply for an endless moment and then without breaking the kiss, he swung me up so that I was cradled in his arms and carried me into the house. He took me straight to his bedroom. And as we crossed the threshold in his room, he continued kissing me for several minutes, until he finally set me down.

When we broke the kiss I was breathless. It took me a moment to regain my composure. He released me from his arms and I looked around. His bedroom was unfurnished; of course, no one has lived in this house for years. Only a colossal bed was set in the middle of the room. And hundreds of candles were lit, creating a romantic atmosphere, along with the soft music playing in the background. There were rose petals spread over the bed.

I was looking at the magnificent display, and from the corner of my eye I saw Edward removed his coat, vest and tie. I walked toward the bed, nervously and stared at it, imagining the amazing things that were about to happen.

I was still admiring the beautiful bed when I suddenly felt him behind me. He wrapped one arm around my waist, and with his free hand he placed my hair over one side of my shoulder, and kissed the exposed side of my neck, his erratic breathing tickling me. "I love you," he whispered, his lips never leaving my skin.

He took a step back and started unbuttoning my dress, placing soft kisses that trailed down on my bare back. I closed my eyes, shivering at the feeling of his lips on my skin.

When the last button was undone, he slipped his hands under the now loosen fabric on my shoulders, sliding it down, making my dress fall on the floor, at my feet.

I turned around slowly, so I was now facing him. His eyes roamed over my body. "You are so beautiful," he whispered. I felt a little self-conscious, since I was wearing nothing but a white lace set of panties and bra.

His lips crashed into mine and a thrill ran through me as we deepened the kiss. Once his lips moved from my lips to my jaw, I reached the front of his shirt and with trembling fingers I unbuttoned it, and pulled it off. I smoothed my hands up his firm abdomen and across his sculpted chest and strong arms. He closed his eyes and parted his lips. A low purr deep in his chest told me that he was enjoying my touch, making me even more excited.

After a few seconds of allowing me to explore every line of his muscles, he opened his eyes slowly and looked intently into mine. They were burning with desire. His breathing became ragged, matching mine.

He wrapped his arms around me, running his hands up and down my back, while kissing my neck, jaw and lips. He then unclasped my bra smoothly and slipped his fingers under the straps, sliding them off my body.

I ran my hands down on his chest until I reached his pants. I unbuttoned and unzipped them and they slid down his legs, falling on the floor next to my dress.

The only thing left on our bodies was his silk boxers and my lacy panties.

Edward kept his eyes locked to mine.

I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled myself closer to him, making my now exposed breast touch his naked chest. The sensation of my hardened nipples against his smooth skin was unbearable. He brought his lips to mine and kissed me eagerly. His tongue ran on my lips asking for entrance which was immediately granted.

As our tongues danced together, he swung me up in his arms and carried me to the bed, and gently laid me down on it. He leaned over my body, trailing kisses along my jaw and lips, while his hands roamed freely over my nearly naked body. He caressed my neck, my breasts, and my abdomen. And as soon as his fingers reached the line along the top of the lace, my body quivered with pleasure. He cast off the last pieces covering our bodies. And we were now naked.

Our naked bodies entwined, creating an amazing sensation, as his smooth skin slid across mine.

He positioned himself carefully on top of me. He looked into my eyes as he slowly pressed our hips together, sending me over the edge once he was inside of me. He kissed me fully in the lips with a hunger and desire that I had not seen before.

And we made sweet, beautiful love. With each thrust a thrill ran through me so intense and delicious that for a moment I thought I was going to burst from the fervency of the pleasure I was feeling. Our kisses became more passionate, as the rhythmic movement of our body intensified. My hips lifted to meet his and each thrust pushed him deeper into me. His skin brushing on mine sent waves of pleasure, taking me to the highest peak in heaven.

We climaxed together. It was pure ecstasy, magic, heaven, love.

We simply lay there, next to each other, breathless. Our bodies still trembling with pleasure. I looked at him, and smiled as I saw his expression: contentment and joy. Pure happiness. An evidence of the ardent moment we had shared. His eyes locked on mine full of love and adoration.

I pulled myself closer to him, resting my head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me, embracing each other closely.

There were no words to express what we'd experienced. We stayed there in silence, savoring the blissful moment.

-x-

We made love all night long. Sweet, passionate, breathtaking love.

We saw the sun rose through the glass windows, as we were still in bed, memorizing every detail of our now familiar bodies. "This little birthmark is my favorite," Edward mumbled woozily into the cleft between my breasts, before he kissed the mole there.

"Mine is this one," I said as I kissed the small freckle right under his belly bottom, making him tremble.

"Bella?"

"What?" I said playfully.

He rolled on top of me and kissed me deeply, awaking the desire we had experienced during the night. And another session of lovemaking began. Each time more intense than the one before.

We were breathless again and he wrapped is arms around me. "That was…amazingly marvelous," he said.

"Hmmmm," I replied.

Later in the morning he got up. "Stay here," he ordered, and moved with unconscious grace toward the bathroom.

I gasped silently, as I got a full view of his perfectly round, cute naked butt. A few minutes later he came out, inviting me to go with him. I held his hand and left the bed. We walked toward the bathroom with nothing covering our bodies. We were surprisingly uninhibited. No embarrassment, no awkwardness, just love.

The bathroom was filled with roses. And lit candles surrounded the gorgeous wide bathtub. He had already filled the tub with warm water and the bubbles were sparkling as the light from the candles reflected on them.

Without words, Edward stepped in the tub sitting comfortable at one end of it. I soon followed him, immersing in the water. I leaned on his body, my back to his chest, and closed my eyes contently. We stayed in there for a long time, relaxing and enjoying each other's touch. His fingers were tracing patterns on my naked body as he whispered love words in my ear. It was dreamy.

We finished our relaxing session and finally got dressed. We went downstairs and I wasn't surprised to see the house unfurnished, but a grand piano adorning the center of the living room puzzled me. "Where did this piano come from?" I asked.

"I just bought it," he said nonchalant.

"Why?"

"When I was shopping for our bed, I saw it and thought that maybe you would like me to play for you, so I bought it."

He said it like if he'd just bought a box of chocolate. I smiled. "What are you waiting for?"

He smiled widely and led me to it, sitting me on his lap. He started playing for me. His beautiful music was soothing. I sat there resting my head on his shoulder with my eyes closed and I enjoyed the moment.

After the last note hovered in the silence, I opened my eyes I looked into his. "Thank you."

He kissed me lightly on the lips. "I love you," he answered.

He took my hand leading me away from the piano and out the house through the back door. He looked at me wickedly. "Climb on my back," he ordered.

I waited to see if he was kidding but apparently he was serious.

He saw the confusion in my eyes. "I want to remember old times."

I smiled and hopped on his back, clamping my arms and legs tightly around him.

He ran through the forest, the wind whipping against my face. I teased him the whole time placing kisses on his neck and running my fingers over his chest and on the lower part of his abdomen, making him jump a couple of times.

I knew exactly where we were going.

In no time we got to our meadow. I hopped off and walked around taking in the beauty surrounding us. Our little, beautiful spot was still in time, like if it was just waiting for our return.

We lay in the center of our little heaven and looked up the sky, as the stars started to shine one by one. The beautiful moon above us covered us with its splendid light as we made love in our paradise.

This glorious moment was the culmination of our love. Our love that will go on forever.

**The End.**

* * *

_**A/N:**__ I want to thank every one who read this story; thank you so much! especially the ones who left reviews for me.__You guys are amazing!_

_I hope you enjoyed it, as much as I enjoyed writing it._

_I also wanted to thank you __for overlooking the errors and typos (Sorry about that).  
_

_There's only a short epilogue left that I'll post in a few days._

_Thank you again, and best of luck to everyone!_


	20. Epilogue

_**Disclaimer: The Twilight Series and its characters belong to Stephenie Meyer. Any other characters, settings etc. are property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.**_

Epilogue

For our honeymoon, Edward took me to Australia, specifically to The Great Barrier Reef, where the largest coral reef in the world is located. The beauty of one of the wonders of the natural world combined with the beauty of the most amazing man in the world was the most magnificent scenario. We explored the reef under the moonlight; it was breathtaking.

He then took me to Europe. We visited England, France and Italy. My favorite place was the Sistine Chapel; the architecture and decoration by the greatest Renaissance artists was just awesome. I also enjoyed Paris Louvre Museum. Edward just knew how to make me happy.

After three weeks of honeymooning we came back home. We had decided to skip the rest of the school year, and just enjoy each other's company.

Esme informed us that she found a house in a small town in North Dakota, where we would start our new life, as a family. She was in the beginning process of restoration. So the house would not be ready for at least another six months. Which meant an extension of our honeymoon. She assured us the house had a big attic for my artistic creations. That was a requirement Edward had insisted upon.

During weekdays we would stay at home and practice our lovemaking, making up for all the years of separation. On weekends we would spend time with the Cullen's. It was family time.

My trips to Forks were once a month. I would spend the weekend at Charlie's house enjoying his company. I finally got to meet little Harry and Jacob's kids. And I was impressed how their mothers trusted me around them. I really didn't expect it. We would bake cookies, play video games, and my favorite: I would read books to them ending the day with intense debates on Aesop's Fables. They were really smart kids. And little by little I became their favorite Aunt.

Edward would escort me on my monthly trips. But I felt guilty that while I was having fun with my family, he was all alone in an empty house, waiting for a chance to see me. He said he didn't mind, but I didn't like it.

By the fourth trip, I proposed that he should spend time with his brothers, while I spent time with my family. We convinced him, that it was safer if I traveled alone. The wigs and hats Alice provided for me would keep me unrecognizable.

He agreed reluctantly. But to be honest with myself, it was very hard to be separated from him even if it was only for a weekend. So when I came back I _showed _him how much I missed him, and he enjoyed every second of it.

He enjoyed it so much that he secretly looked forward to my little trips. _My beautiful, horny husband._

Yep, life was good.

THE END.

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Thank you for reading. :)

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	21. Chapter 21

Hello everyone!

It's been two years since I finished Feelings on Canvas; now, I've decided to try my hand at another Alternate Universe story. This one is with vampires and werewolves. And it's OOC; meaning Bella is a strong, confident vampire and Edward is a happy, good-spirited one.

Summary:

**As far as Bella is concerned, all vampires are arrogant, egotistical and vile creatures. She loathes them — because the Volturi forced her to become one of them. Will her attitude change when she meets the Cullens? AU OOC E/B**

Check it out! You might like it,

"Conflicting Emotions" http:/www(dot)fanfiction(dot)net/s/6224599/1/

Or go to my profile. :)

ncrl


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